Binder1 may 1, 2016 by Newtelegraphonline

Horror! Man stabs lover to death, mother escapes by whiskers }9

Enugu killings: Army, Police keep mum over Gov Ugwuanyi’s allegations }10

SUNDAY Sunday, MAY 1, 2016 Vol. 3 No. 802

Sylvya Oluchy

Sanctity of Truth

/newtelegraph

@newtelegraph1 www.newtelegraphonline.com

N150

Fulani herdsmen: Our story }5

Dangote is my celebrity crush }42 NEWS

PDP, INEC panic over $115m bribe

lDeny N629m inducement in Delta, Ogun states }6

lWe’re not responsible for killings - Miyetti Allah lWe don’t need AK47 to rear cattle lFight us, fight the whole of Africa lThey poisoned our water -Agatu people lThey can’t feign ignorance –MASSOB

dark MAY DAY: WORKERS WILL GO ON STRIKE - labour

NEWS 2016 budget will be signed • Mass sack looms • Purchasing power this week lowest in years • Paying minimum }3&4 corruption -Wabba -Osinbajo }14 wage’ll fight }4

SUNDAY MAY 01, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Contents | 01.05.16 BODY & SOUL

Classy comedy A comedian thatmoved from nothing to grace, defying all odds while choosing his own path in the trade, the story of Gbenga Adeyinka

}20&21

POLITICS

Gov Bello and PDP From his body language and appointments, Gov. Yahaya Bello is leaving no one in doubt about his romance with the Peoples Democratic Party

}23

BUSINESS

Eroded confidence Though Nigeria improved in the World Bank Ease of Business index in 2015, it is not enough to attract foreign direct investment

}43

FAITH

Christians are suspicious More Christians want the Federal Government to be mindful of it is handling national issues especially religion

}31

SPORT

Magazine

Divorced by wife Super rich American football player, Quinn Ojinnaka, gets divorce letters from wife for deciding to be a wrestler

}53 Lover's wrath For rejecting her lover after she found out he had a wife and two children, a young lady was stabbed to death while her mother escaped by the whisked

}8&9

SUNDAY

Editorial

Saving indigenous languages

enturies of slavery when they were constantly made to feel less than human, left Africans with a monumental crisis of identity and selfworth. Colonialism which followed the scramble for and partitioning of the continent only further exacerbated this confusion. Very many positive aspects of our culture have been repudiated by natives because they have been schooled to believe that those things are backward and barbaric. While admitting that there were facets of the cultures that needed to be consigned to the dustbin of history, there are many other positives that have been equally rejected because of this serious lack of a sense of self-worth. Of everything in a people’s culture that can be lost or thrown away due to ignorance, language is the most significant. A people who undermine their language will soon enough lose all sense of identity. Gradually but inexorably, Nigerians are losing their received language because many people erroneously believe that the only way their children can speak English very well, is if such kids are stopped from learning their native languages. What this means, is that the age-old process of generational transmission of this vital aspect of culture is being truncated. So you find a situation where a Bini man for instance is married to a Bini woman and they both live in Benin City and yet their children cannot speak their language. Can there be a worse form of alienation? All this in an effort to belong to the Joneses and be seen to be more English than Queen Elizabeth. But the irony is that those Nigerians who speak English pure as glass are also the ones who speak their native languages in their most pristine form, unfortunately, this is lost on these wannabes. They gleefully tell friends and relatives not to speak native languages to their children as that would impede their ability to pick up English early or learn it proficiently. If this strange reasoning were correct, what explains the phenomenon of polyglot? Language is the pride of any people. That’s why in international diplomacy, leaders refuse to speak any other language other than their own. Even

when they understand and speak the other languages perfectly, they still depend on interpreters. This engenders negotiation from a position of strength, a sense of history and a refusal to denigrate that history. In no way was this most strongly underscored as during the cold war years when leaders and diplomats from the United States and the defunct Soviet Union would expressionlessly wait for the interpreters to do their job before responding in their native languages. The late Ghanaian poet Kofi Awoonor when asked why he always spoke to his son in his native language responded in a way that many Nigerian parents would do well to emulate: “My son will learn English in school as I did. My parents were illiterate and couldn’t have spoken to me in English, but here I am… your language is your security.” It bears recalling that indigenous languages were introduced into school curricular some time ago by government as a way of arresting the slide in their use. The success of this effort or better still lack of it, is something that should be a cause of concern to all. It also underlines the fact that such government ‘decrees’ are rarely the solution to such problems. We insist therefore that the bulk of the work rests squarely with parents at home. They are the first socializers children are exposed to and should not abdicate their responsibility. It was in an attempt to stem the battering indigenous languages were receiving that famous Kenyan writer, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, once advocated that Africans should write in their own languages. He took his own advice and began writing in his mother tongue. Another equally great African writer, Ayi Kwei Armah, however shot the idea down, describing it as akin to a man wanting to move forward yet have his eyes permanently fixed on the rear view mirror and the gear in reverse. These divergent views will always exist, but they are neither here nor there. The point that needs to be stressed is that efforts be must be made at all levels - from the family to the government- to reverse this dangerous trend of undermining the indigenous languages.

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Managing Editor, Business & Strategy n Yemi Ajayi

Managing Editor, Publication & Operations n Emeka Obasi

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Editor n Ayodele Ojo Editor, Sunday n Juliet Bumah Editor, Saturday n Waheed Bakare Deputy Editor n Tunde Sulaiman

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MAY 01, 2016

SUNDAY 01 MAY, 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

NEWS

Workers will go on strike - Labour Paul Ogbuokiri and Yekeen Nurudeen ABUJA

orkers in the country, today, join the rest of the world to celebrate the May Day, but it is definitely a celebration without much to show for Nigerian workers as they have not had it rosy since the inception of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The country’s job crisis may have reached its tipping point in the last one year, with the unprecedented loss of jobs across the sectors in recent times. Unlike in times past, when some jobs appeared more threatened compared to others, the threat of job loss, this time, looms across different

sectors -from the banking and financial service sector to telecoms, hospitality, oil and gas, universities, media and publishing, manufacturing, civil service - the gale of sack has swept virtually everywhere, sparing no one. To this end, the Director of Social Communication, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, had called on the Federal Government to stop paying lip service to prevalent chronic unemployment in the country. “In order for us a country to be progressive, our government must show more genuine commitment towards providing gainful opportunities for the unemployed,” he said. Osu, who made the call in a statement in Lagos at the weekend, also appealed to

youths not to be ashamed of using their hands saying, “Whatever your hands find to do, do it with pride and God will reward you accordingly.” Workers in the states, as well as those in federal ministries, agencies and commissions have had to contend with unpaid salaries, as no fewer than 27 state governments have been unable to pay their respective workers’ salaries, some owing up to nine months, including retirement benefits. In the midst of the unpaid salaries, the value of the naira crashed by over 100 per cent in the parallel market, causing rises in the prices of most consumables, both made in Nigeria and imported items, far beyond the reach of the ordinary worker. As if the damage done

by that to the purchasing power of the worker is not enough, the nation also ran into scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), since October last year, making the cost of transportation unbearable and further driving the prices of goods and services up. The National Bureau of Statistic, in its recent first quarter 2016 report, said that the inflation has jumped to about 12.8 per cent of the GDP, the highest in four years. Nigeria’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation rate, recorded a sharp rise for the second consecutive month in March, peaking at 12.8 per cent yearon-year up from the 11.4 per cent recorded in the preceding month. The latest rate, which represents the highest

L-R: President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Bobboi Kaigama; Factional president, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba and Deputy President, NLC, Peters Adeyemi, at the NLC Pre-May Day Lecture, in Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Kalu salutes workers, mourns Oba of Benin

minent businessman and former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Kalu, has commended Nigerian workers for their commitment and steadfastness in building and sustaining the Nigerian economy despite challenges facing the nation. Kalu, who is also founder, Slok Group, stressed that the role of workers in any organisation cannot be undermined, adding that without the personnel, productivity cannot be driven. He noted that employees should be compensated with good welfare packages and encouraging working environment. In a statement by his Special Adviser, Kunle Oyewumi, Kalu said, “In view of global challenges facing governments and businesses worldwide, it is important to acknowledge the resilience and commitment of the

workforce in the growth and development of nations. “The role of workers in building a prosperous Nigeria is significant and as such, government and other employers of labour must make workers’ welfare a top priority in their policies. “For any economy to thrive, the labour force has a strategic role to play as they remain the engine room for development. “Without healthy relationships among stakeholders, collective aspirations will not be achievable. Both employers and employees should always strike a balance in their pursuits. “As we celebrate this year’s labour day, I want to advise Nigerian workers to complement the efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal administration in correcting the anomalies in the public and private sectors that

have crippled the nation. All hands must be on deck to take Nigeria to enviable heights”. Kalu advocated a periodic review and improvement of workers’ welfare as a way of motivating the Nigerian labour force in adding positive value to the society. He urged workers to uphold good moral ethics in their daily endeavours and cooperate with people at the helm in driving efficiency. Meanwhile, the former governor of Abia State commiserated with the Erediauwa family, government and people of Edo State and the Benin royal dynasty on the passing on of the Oba of Benin, Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa. He described the late Oba as a great icon whose death is a big loss to the nation. Kalu noted that the late paramount ruler contributed immensely to the socio-

political development of the country without bias. In a condolence message by Oyewumi, Kalu said: “I received with pain the sad news of the passing away of Oba Erediauwa. During his reign, Benin and its environs witnessed robust developments. “The late monarch will be remembered for his humility and forthrightness. He was a detribilized elder statesman whose words of advice on national concerns will be greatly missed.” The former governor charged the Benin royal dynasty to uphold the legacies of the late monarch. He urged the Erediauwa family to take solace in the fact that the late traditional ruler lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation and prayed God to give them the fortitude to bear the great loss and grant the deceased a blissful rest.

since July 2012, was spurred by faster increases across all divisions, which contribute to the index The N338 billion bailout released to 19 state governments by the Federal Government in September 2015, to pay their workers’ salaries, might have only made very minimal difference in the sad state of the workers as President Buhari, early this week, stated that about a third of the states are still owing their workers despite the bailout extended to them, while some of the workers are on half salaries. Some of the state governors later confessed that they will no longer be able to pay the N18, 000 minimum wage. But the Deputy President of the Comrade Ayuba Wabb-led Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Chairman of the 2016 May Day committee, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, said at a pre-May Day press conference in Abuja that states that had refused to pay the N18, 000 were acting against the laws of the land, pointing out that the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) will not fold their hands and watch those states act against the law. Meanwhile, what would have been a silver lining for the workers which came last Friday might after all be wishful thinking with the discordant tunes being sang by the divided NLC. The Joe Ajero-led faction of the union, at the end of its Executive Committee Meeting in Port Harcourt on Friday, said he has been mandated to demand a N90, 000 minimum wage. Comrade

Ajero threatened to call out union members on a strike if employers fail to pay the new minimum wage. Meanwhile, the Comrade Ayuba Wabba-led faction and the Trade Union Congress, the same day in Abuja, confirmed that they have proposed a new minimum wage of N56, 000 for civil servants on the payroll of the Federal Government. In making the proposal, Wabba said the Union was not deterred by the complaint by some state governors that they cannot pay the current N18,000 minimum wage, saying the economic crisis the country is passing through has eroded the purchasing power of workers. He noted that when the N18,000 minimum wage act was signed into law in March 2011 by former President Goodluck Jonathan, the naira was exchanging at N110 to US$1. He said: “As at today, the value of the naira to the dollar has been reduced; and there are the issues of inflation and purchasing power, among others to contend with.” Comrade Wabba called on the Federal Government to ensure that the issue of the national minimum wage was urgently taken on board as a way of fighting corruption in the country. The NLC President said that workers needed to be empowered financially to have the purchasing power to buy what they would need to survive. ``If manufacturers are producing and nobody is buying, the economy will be at a standstill because people lack the purchasing power to buy.”

Suspected thugs attack Edo Deputy Governor’s Convoy Cajetan Mmuta BENIN

ew days after his declaration of intent to run for the governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State gubernatorial election fixed for September 10 this year, some political thugs allegedly attacked the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu and his entourage at Auchi, headquarters of Etsako West Local Government. A policeman, an operative of the State Security Service and three civilians were said to have been injured during the attack. Odubu was denied access to APC Secretariat at Fugar, headquarters of Etsako Central Local Government Area on the alleged instruction of a Deputy Director of Protocol in Government House who incidentally is from the area.

He was scheduled to hold a meeting with party delegates from the area but met the gates of Secretariat under lock and key, a situation that was said to have angered some delegates who forced the gate open to enable the Deputy Governor meet with them outside the Secretariat. Dr. Odubu was said to have left Fugar for Auchi and was meeting with delegates when thugs suddenly appeared, firing gunshots and destroying canopies. “We ran for our dear lives. They injured a policeman, an SSS operative and three civilians and destroyed canopies”, a source close to venue said. When contacted, the Edo state Police Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Abiodun Osifo, said he got the report of the attack and that his men have been drafted to the place.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY 01 MAY, 2016

NEWS

Ibraheem Musa, Caleb Onwe, Steve Uzoechi, Charles Onyekwere, Kenneth Ofoma

ssistant National Secretary General of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, has said that the herdsmen allegedly responsible for the killings in the country may not be Nigerians, adding that herdsmen attack only in self-defence. He noted that “Fulanis are not restricted to a particular area; they are all over Africa”, and warned the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) to be careful with what he described as their ‘reckless’ threats that Fulani herdsmen should leave the East and West respectively. He adduced the spate of attacks by herdsmen to likely be reprisals by the herdsmen. “Fulanis hardly attack people. Most of the attacks are reprisal attacks. People attack Fulanis, hence they either attack in self-defence or undertake revenge attacks. Fulanis usually move with their families and cattle, which is their wealth. “So, you don’t expect these nomads who move with their wealth and families to look for trouble. However, they are subjects of attack because of their cattle by rustlers. They also clash with people who farm along stock routes. In Agatu for example, the people were the ones who attacked our people and even poisoned our cattle water drinking points. But like I said, we are still trying to establish which Fulanis carried out the attacks,” Dr. Abdulahi said. However, he condemned the killing of hundreds of Nigerians by herdsmen and urged law enforcement agencies to, as a matter of urgency, establish whether the people staging the attacks, from Agatu in Benue State to Nibo in Enugu State and all over Nigeria, are Fulani herdsmen, as they are being referred to in the media. “This is the duty of security agents. I say this because some people, sometimes, disguise as Fulanis to commit all kinds of atrocities like armed robbery. For example, in 2004, some robbers who were dressed like Fulanis were apprehended along Abuja-Kaduna Road. Upon interrogation by security agents, it was found that the robbers were not Fulanis; in fact, they knew nothing about Fulani culture,” he said. According to him, it is only after establishing that the attackers are Fulanis, that the security agencies can move a step further to ascertain whether they are

Fulani herdsmen: Our story • We’re not responsible for killings - Miyetti Allah •We don’t need AK47 to rear cattle •Fight us, you fight the whole of Africa • They can’t feign ignorance –MASSOB

indigenous Fulanis from Nigeria or foreigners from other African countries like Niger, Chad Cameroon and Central African Republic. “Right now, every atrocity that is being committed is heaped on Fulanis because they have no channel of communication or access to the media,” he said. On the source the use of the AK47 used by the herdsmen, he said it “is exaggerated and security agents have to determine if the people who are seen with AK 47 rifles are Fulani herdsmen or not. If they are, are they indigenous Fulanis? This needs to be resolved.” He said there was a picture of a young man with AK 47 that went viral on social media. “People were saying that he was a Fulani man when in actual fact, he is from one of the East African countries. What I know is that indigenous Fulanis don’t need guns to rear their cattle.” However, he said he could not ascertain whether Fulanis from neigbhouring countries like Niger were allowed by their laws to carry such weapons. “I don’t think indigenous Fulanis who carry guns are licensed to handle such weapons. But what will you do in a situation where Fulanis from elsewhere carry guns into Nigeria? Don’t forget that they are allowed by the ECOWAS protocol on pastoral normadism, to move across the West African sub-region, through established stock routes. What if these Fulanis enter Nigeria with their weapons? People will be quick to say that they are Fulanis. Yes, they are Fulanis but not indigenous to Nigeria.” On threats by MASSOB and OPC for the herdsmen to leave the East and West respectively, Dr. Abdulahi said these groups should be careful with the threats, because “Fulanis are not restricted to a particular area; they are all over Africa. If you expel Fulanis from their areas, that means they are fighting all of Africa. Let me give you an example. I am a Fulani man from southern part of Kaduna State. During the post-election violence of 2011, a lot of Fulanis who happened to be passing through the area were affected. Afterwards, Kaduna State government had tried to reconcile the Fulanis and other tribes of the area.

However, peace was never achieved because Fulanis from elsewhere would come and unleash violence on the other tribes and they would in turn blame us for violating the peace agreement. They will also attack us and the circle has been continuing. So, I don’t want a situation of this playing out at the national level, by the reckless statements of a few groups,” the assistant scribe said. Reacting to the allegation that the Agatu people poisoned the water meant for the herdsmen’s cattle, a prominent indigene of Agatu, who is also the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. John Ikwulono, said it was the Fulani herdsmen that poisoned the waters so that the Agatu people would have no source of drinking water. Thus, Agatu people now have to trek long distances to look for water to meet their domestic needs. He denied the claim by the herders that the Agatu people ate their cows numbering over 500, adding that it would take Agatu people many years to rebuilt their communities destroyed by the herdsmen and appealed to the Federal Government and public spirited individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the people to enable them return to their ancestal homes. In his reaction, however, the National Leader for the Movement for the

Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Comrade Uchenna Madu, said that whoever is attempting to explain away these attacks by Fulani herdsmen as an invasion from another Africa country, is far from the truth. Madu said, “Whether these killers as they claim come from Niger, Chad, Cameroon or even the moon, Fulanis know themselves and cannot feign ignorance of the perpetrators of the attack in Enugu and indeed every other part of Nigeria. This is a deliberate agenda; but they are mistaken if they think we will give them room for a repeat of the Ukpabi-Nimbo massacre, not even with the subtle backing of the military will they go free. “How can you rationalise the activities of a bunch of blood thirsty cowards who sneak up on defenceless people, including women and children, and kill them in cold blood? And this man, whoever you call him, has the effrontery to say we should be careful because Fulanis are all over Africa. What rubbish! Fulanis are all over Africa but Igbos are all over the world and Nigeria knows we never shy away from confrontation when our hospitality and goodwill has been abused.” Madu maintained that no tribe or ethnic nationality has the monopoly of violence saying, “If they fail to rid themselves of the killers among them,

then that is because it is a consensus among them to subdue Ndigbo through their nomadic terrorism and that is why we sound this warning that they are not wanted in our land anymore. We assure them, they will be shocked, if they decide to test the strength of our resolve. Meanwhile, the Igbo Improvement Union (Oganiru Ndi-Igbo) a socio-political and cultural organisation, yesterday, declared that the invasion and killing of more than 40 residents of Ukpabi-Nimbo by suspected Fulani herdsmen was nothing but ‘ethnic cleansing’. The group, PresidentGeneral of the group Ugochukwu Agballah and the Secretary, Chief Edozie Njoku, which visited the community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, expressed shock and disbelief at the wanton destruction of lives and property in UkpabiNimbo. The Igbo Improvement Union (IIU) made up of Igbo speaking people in Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers States of Nigeria, yesterday, met with Igwe John Ikemefuna Akor, Agaba Idu XXIV of Ukpabi-Nimbo Community in Uzo-Uwani LGA of Enugu State. “We are scandalised that such ethnic cleansing and palpable act of brigandage could take place in a 21st Century Nigeria. We are in

shock over the inability of the joint patrol team stationed at Uzo-Uwani LGA to arrest these criminals in spite of intelligence reports made available to the law enforcement agencies before the attack. The Union insists that the security agencies must explain to Ndi-Igbo why they negligently and callously refused to proactively secure the communities after receiving confirmed security information on the planned attack.” Also, General Overseer of Christian Victory Prayer Ministry (CVPM), Pastor Dan Obinegbo, has said that the attacks in the South-East by Fulani herdsmen is a grand plan to proclaim Fulani Jihad against the Igbos. He said, “The Federal Government must as a matter of urgency rise up to the occasion and address this issue, before it tears the Nigeria nation apart. What is happening now is a wakeup call for our South-East leaders to rise to the occasion and defend their people. “We see this callous act as a bold affront on our people, and must be remedied before it becomes a cancerous disease capable of destroying Nigeria. Am sounding this warning because nobody has monopoly of violence, and Ndigbo have endured and tolerated this barbaric act enough, so, we are saying enough is enough.”

Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, (right) being welcomed at his Ward, Orba Ward II, by the Transition Chairman of Udenu Local Government Area of the state, Hon. Frank Ugwu, (left) during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ward Congress...yesterday

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

news

PDP, INEC panic over $115m bribe Onyekachi Eze, Kunle Olayeni, Domnic Adewole

he arrest of two officials of the Fidelity Bank by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is ruffling feathers in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The officials of the bank, the Managing Director/the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, and the Head of Operations, Martins Izuogbe, were arrested in connection with $115 million allegedly lodged in the bank by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. The anti-corruption agency had said the money was meant for disbursement to officials of INEC in 36 states of the federation to influence the 2015 general elections. A source at the PDP national secretariat, however,

l Deny N629m inducement in Delta, Ogun states expressed the fears that this might result in the arrest of some chieftains of the party. Some of them are still standing trial in connection with the $2.1 billion arms deal scandal. The PDP source confirmed that some members of the Presidential Campaign Organisation allegedly withdrew some money from the controversial account to prosecute the campaign. He specifically mentioned a former minister, who allegedly collected N5million from the account. “There is panic in the party. The party collected N200 million from the account for campaign,” he disclosed. The EFCC also said the arrested bank officials had made statements, including the list of all beneficiaries and details of payment made to them. Like the case of the money allegedly paid from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA),

Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the EFCC might use the list to close in on alleged beneficiaries of the money. Although the INEC headquarters in Abuja denied knowledge of the alleged transaction between the bank and officials of the commission, the EFCC said it ... N408. 7 million out of the $115 million. “Some former and serving INEC officials in Oyo and Ogun have paid back N359million to EFCC. What happened was that while N802m was voted for bribery of INEC officials and NGOs in Oyo State to change presidential poll results, about N629m was dished out in Ogun State,” an official of the commission was quoted to have said. Meanwhile, officials of the INEC and the PDP in Ogun and Delta states have denied collecting N629million to alter the results of the last presidential election.

In separate interviews with our correspondent, both INEC and PDP described media report that they got bribe to change election result as ‘unfounded’. A newspaper report had indicated that some former and serving INEC officials in Ogun and Oyo states got N629million and N802million respectively out of the N23.3billion allegedly contributed by some oil barons to change results of the 2015 presidential election. The report added that some former and serving officials of INEC have refunded N359million out of the bribe. But speaking in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the state Public Affairs Officer of INEC, Mr. Olayinka Ogunseye, said the alleged disbursement of bribe was not true. “It can only be a lie. If

anybody has proof, let them come up with it. There is no truth in that report. It is just a figment of their imagination,” he declared. Ogunseye said he was unaware that some former and serving INEC officials in the state refunded part of the cash upon grilling by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). “That (refund of bribe) is news to me. I’ve not heard anything like that. But I think it is far from the truth,” he added. Also speaking, the PDP State Secretary, Alhaji Semiu Sodipo, faulted the report that his party offered N629million to electoral officers to change election results. Sodipo described the report as a blatant lie and

Akiolu, Ambode, Tinubu, Osoba, others grace Lagos Jazz Festival Muritala Ayinla

Minister of Defence, Retired Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan’ali (middle), being shown the Masterplan of the new Army Barrack, in Gusau Zamfara State…yesterday PHOTO: NAN

resident Muhammadu Buhari’s current economic policies are similar to those he promulgated during the military regime he led in the 1980s, a former Minister of Education and social critic, Oby Ezekwesili, has said. Mrs. Ezekwesili said Mr. Buhari’s “archaic” and “opaque” economic principles are not only encouraging massive corruption and abuse of power, but also hurting the poor they were intended to help. Mrs. Ezekwesili said this at The Platform, a public policy forum in Abuja yesterday. “During the first coming of this our new president, a command and control eco-

Buhari’s economic policies ‘opaque, archaic’ – Ezekwesili nomic system was adopted. “During that era, inflation spiralled. During that era, jobs were lost. During that era, the economic growth level dipped,” Mrs. Ezekwesili said. “That era wasn’t the best of eras in economic progress.” “What did not work in 1984 cannot possibly be a solution in a global economy that’s much more integrated.” Mrs. Ezekwesili said Mr. Buhari was rehashing the same “command and control” approach towards economic issues which has

left the country’s economic indices worse off since he assumed office almost year ago. “In over one year, the president is still holding on to the premise that command and control is the only way out,” Mrs. Ezekwesili said. “In a year we have lost the single digits inflation status we maintained in past administrations.” Mrs. Ezekwesili said Mr. Buhari’s distortion of foreign exchange system has left the poor it was intended to support even worse off,

as reported by Premium Times. “The president comes into this economic philosophy on the premise that he does not want the poor to suffer. I can relate to that, a leader must not allow the poor to suffer, especially a leader who knows that most of his votes came not from the elite but from the poor.” “The problem though is that the intention and the outcome are diverged. The weakest and the most vulnerable suffer the impact of inflation the most.”

cheap blackmail. He said: “It is far from the truth. We went to the election, we contested and after that, we went to the tribunal up to the Appeal Court and Supreme Court. We lost at the court and we accepted our fate. We are preparing for the next election. “Nobody from our party collected any money to manoeuvre the elections. If the then national chairman did not go to Bauchi where he came from to alter election and the party secretary did not go to Osun to change result, how can they be involved in changing election result in Ogun?” In the same vein, the Delta State Public Relations Officer of INEC, Mr. James Popoola, said he was not aware of any such inducement.

ational leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi, Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, the former of governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu and Senator Gbega Ashafa were some of the dignitaries that graced the Lagos International Jazz Festival yesterday. The event, which was hosted by Governor Ambode at the Lagos House located in Ikeja area of the state, also had in attendance many popular jazz artistes and members of the diplomatic community in Lagos State. Speaking at the starstudded and well attended

concert, Ambode explained that the objective is to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe, adding that the Lagos International Jazz Day was carefully tailored to showcase the tourism potentials of the state to the world. According to him, Lagos State, apart from being the financial and commercial hub of Nigeria, his administration will work hard to equally transform Lagos into the tourism hub of Africa. He said: “We want to emulate and even surpass the International Jazz Festival in Cape Town, South Africa, and then be on the world stage and that is the significance of this collaboration that we have decided to go into.”

NYSC to re-open orientation camps in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

he Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC), Brigadier General Sule Zakari Kazaure, yesterday promised to intensify efforts to ensure the reopening of other orientation camps in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states that were shut down as a result of infiltration of the states by armed Boko Haram insurgents. Brigadier General Kazaure told journalists in Benue State that the decision followed the successes recorded in the fight against insurgency in the north eastern part of the country.

“The camps will be opened very soon because there is relative calm in the whole of North –East; there is no more insurgency. So very soon all the camps will be opened,” he stated. The NYSC boss who visited the orientation camp at Wannune in Tarka Local Government Area of the state where he also inspected facilities, expressed satisfaction with the state of amenities, and advised corps members to always conform with the rules and regulations governing their operation in camp and to be contented with whatever they have at their disposal.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

News

Ogun PDP: Kashamu, Bankole, Adebutu hold separate congresses Kunle Olayeni

Abeokuta

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward congresses held nationwide yesterday plunged the Ogun State chapter of the party deeper into confusion as three factions emerged from the exercise. The factions included those loyal to Senator Buruji Kashamu, former House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, and the lawmaker representing Remo Federal Constituency, Oladipupo Adebutu. They conducted separate congresses across the 236 wards of the state, even as the congresses committee dispatched from the PDP national headquarters in Abuja

grappled with the backlash of the exercise. Sunday Telegraph investigations, however, showed that the ward congresses were generally peaceful across the state despite the factionalisation. At some of the places visited by our correspondent, including Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ikenne, Ifo and Ijebu-Ode, PDP members trooped out in large numbers to participate in the congresses. Security operatives and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were on the ground to monitor the exercise. A party stalwart, Oluwole Bolarinwa, told our correspondent at Ward 7 Ijagba, Sagamu Local Government Area that the exercise was peaceful.

”It’s fantastic, you can see the real people of PDP trooping out en masse to support the party. They are trooping out to make sure the party is secured for a better future. We want this party to grow,” he said. But speaking with Sunday Telegraph, the party’s former Organising Secretary, Folasade Filani, said the congresses held by her group believed to be loyal to Adebutu was the valid exercise. Filani said, “We have conducted a valid congress, the result will be put together and is being collated now and will be submitted to the national secretariat. “Despite the fact that the National Secretary has refused to give us forms we have paid for, we had officials from INEC, police, re-

turning officers and except the party is willing to go against the court orders, they have no other choice than to accept our result.” A former member of Ogun State House of Assembly, Johnson Olu-Fatoki, who is loyal to the Bankole’s faction, told our correspondent that his group held the exercise at the designated venue by the PDP national leadership. He said, “We held it at the designated venues where the PDP used to hold its congresses. It was under the supervision of delegates that came from Abuja. “Security agents were on the ground and it was generally peaceful. The difference is that we involved other people from other groups into our exco. It is not a matter of winners-take-all.”

Enugu remains PDP stronghold – Ekweremadu

he Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, has said that Enugu State will remain a stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite challenges faced by the party. Ekweremadu made the declaration in Enugu on Saturday during a stakeholders meeting of the party in preparation for the PDP congresses in the state. According to him, the PDP has passed through a lot of challenges for some time but we will overcome these problems. Enugu has always been a PDP state and will remain a PDP stronghold in the country,’’ he said. The deputy senate president, however, urged members to comport themselves during the congresses beginning at the ward level, adding that everybody

would be carried along. In his remarks, the former National Chairman of the party, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, commended the state government for sustaining the party in the face of trials. Nwodo also commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on the action taken to address the April 25 invasion in Uzo-Uwani by herdsmen. He called for support and cooperation of all and sundry in taking the state to greater height. Ugwuanyi, in his address, expressed his continued support to the party and promised that he would do his best to ensure safety and welfare of people of the state. According to him, despite the recent attack by suspected herdsmen, the state will remain peaceful.

Aspirants’ supporters protest in Osun Adeolu Adeyemo Osogbo

Director-General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) Lagos, Dr. Gloria Elemo, presenting souvenirs to Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), Mr. Sunday Bamigbose, during the visit of NIFST exco to FIIRO, recently.

he Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mansur Dan’ali, on Saturday, said the Nigerian Army was set to destroy all camps and hideouts of members of the Boko Haram sect in Sambisa forest. Dan’ali made the statement during an inspection tour of the construction site of a new army barracks in Gusau. According to him, the Nigerian Army is now at the verge of entering the forest and will soon flush out the insurgents terrorising some states in the northeast of Nigeria. He said since the beginning of the present administration, tremendous success had been recorded in the fight against Boko Haram as well as cattle rustling in the country. åçCommenting on the

he Ward Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State was yesterday characterised by protests by supporters of two key aspirants, Dr. Bayo Faforiji and Hon. Soji Adagunodo who vied for the chairmanship position of the party. The protest, Sunday Telegraph gathered was as a result of political power game between the former deputy governor of the state, Otunba Iyiola Omisore and the National Secretary of the party, Professor Wale Oladipo who reportedly served as godfathers of the two aspirants. It was gathered that Omisore sponsored Faforiji

while Oladipo was behind Adagunodo. The supporters of the duo who stormed the party secretariat located at Gbongan-Osogbo Road as early as 7.00 am in the day nearly clashed as they sang praises of their anointed candidates. While supporters of Dr. Faforiji claimed that the leadership of the party in the state hoarded nomination forms from them, supporters of Adagunodo described the claim as true. Faforiji’s supporters alleged that, the National secretary of the party used his incumbency power to deny them of nomination forms which he only made available to supporters of his anointed aspirant, Adagunodo.

Army ready to dislodge Boko Violence mars Kano Haram from Sambisa – Minister rerun election barrack under construction, Dan’ ali said the project was expected to be completed within the next three months. He said that the project was part of the present administration’s efforts to ensure the comfort of the military and other security agencies. ‘’You know, President Muhammadu Buhari is seriously concerned about the welfare of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies as we have noticed from the attention given to them lately,’’ the minister said. Dan’ali urged the contractor handling the project to

ensure its speedy completion and also to do quality work. Meanwhile, an online news medium, Per Second News, has reported that Nigerian Soldiers Saturday morning shot and killed a pregnant woman at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area in Delta State. The incident happened at a military checkpoint on Jakpa Junction, causing an irate mob to set a military vehicle ablaze. Residents say the soldiers fled the scene soon after they observed that the woman, who initially slumped, had died. According to eye witness account the soldiers

stopped the woman and the tricycle rider conveying her at the checkpoint for purportedly violating the no movement order during today’s Environmental Sanitation in the state. The woman pleaded with the soldiers that she was rushing to attend a marriage ceremony, but when the soldiers refused all entreaties, the tricycle rider suspecting riskily escaped. His bold getaway incensed one of the soldiers, who visited her anger on the woman by wrathfully hitting her stomach with the bayonet of his gun, ripping her stomach in the process.

Onyekachi Eze ABUJA

he rerun election in Minjibir state constituency of Kano State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was marred by violence. The violence, which led to the snatching of Card Readers and other election materials, forced the commission to suspend the election. A statement by the commission on Saturday by the Director, Voter Education and Publicity (VEP), Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said it was forced to suspend the election due to spate of vio-

lence, threats and general insecurity as well as assault and intimidation of INEC staff and voters. It added that this necessitated the withdrawal of all INEC personnel from the field in accordance with section 26 of the Electoral Amendment Act, 2015 and “after consultation with security agencies. “Consequently, voters are advised to return to their abodes and continue their lawful activities while security agencies have promptly reacted to safeguard citizens and forestall a complete breakdown of law and order in the area.”

The Sunday Magazine

Despite economic beer companies smile Alcohol helps me perform better in bed - Consumer

Chijioke Iremeka

any still wonder why consumption of beer in Nigeria is still very high, despite the adverse economic realities sweeping across the land. But investigation by Sunday Telegraph reveals a number of dynamics as being responsible for the situation. Of all, addiction was the chief causative factor, followed by attitude and lifestyle, among others. Economic downturn does not affect the consumption of beer and other alcoholic products among Nigerians. Thus, some beverages companies are posting positive financial reports, while other sectors are struggling. Sunday Telegraph found out that most Nigerians are rushing to different brands of alcohol for succour instead of facing the realities of life. They do not want to think about the current state of their economic situation and get depressed; rather, they resort to keeping themselves happy with brown and green bottles. According to Ibe Chinedu, he drinks when his head is filled with troubles or when he is angry and wouldn’t want to take any action that he would regret afterwards. Two bottles of a particular brand of beer, stabilise him when he is in a dire mood. “I take two bottles of beer when my head is full then, I will sleep off. I do take beer occasionally, but when I’m in a troubling moment, I go drinking. When I’m very angry too, I take beer. In anger, I can smoke cigarette without regulation,” he said. Seeking succour in beer, which offers momentarily relief from the reality on the ground, seems the order of the day for the uninformed. Yet, those who turn to alcoholism as way of escaping stress, troubles, and bad economic situation, among others, would soon develop a habit that only the grace of God can help to overcome. A Chartered Accountant and economist, Bowo Olateru-Olagbegi, who said the comsumption of alcohol is a social life, said it might not be far from the truth that people are going after the bottles for succour than going to face the realities of life in the country. “Anyway, during the change in any country’s economy, some sectors will suffer and others will gain. But I must say that the issue of drinking is a social thing, it’s not a necessity. It’s a social service. People take ‘bottles’ to run away from realities of life but that shouldn’t be. You have to stay and confront your troubles with sober eyes.” A social drinker, as he described himself, Balogun Ashiru argued that some people resort to drinking as a way of running away from hurt. “I know of a neighbour, who wasn’t taking any alcoholic drink, as a single man. But a time came, when he got married and somewhere along the line, something went wrong and since then, this guy has

taken to alcoholism. “So, it became clear that his own case was problem-induced, which he thinks he can get away from by drinking. Many people started drinking to prevent themselves from thinking about the things that could hurt them. In the society today, marriage problems and job loss are major reasons people take to alcoholism.” Corroborating him, Efekodo Ighodalo said drinking is one of the things that give men happiness. He takes beer, not because of anything but he feels it’s natural for somebody to drink. He takes it whether happy or unhappy. To him, a man must indulge in one thing, saying that any man that does not drink keeps anger for long. “They said a man must engage in three things and if he didn’t engage in any of them, he will be extremely wicked and needs to be feared. If a man does not smoke, he must drink, and if he does not drink, he must womanise but in a situation he does not do any of these, fear that man for he can kill at anytime,” he insisted. In his own understanding, when a man gets angry, cigarette, beer or woman should be able to step his anger down but when he doesn’t do any of these, then, he needs to be handled with utmost caution. Sunday Telegraph visited some areas

with high population of young people, to seek the opinion of informed and uninformed drinkers. Ladipo Market, Mushin Lagos, traders based and popular Mazamaza, the seat of all motor parks, were visited. Sunday Telegraph investigation revealed that younger people drink more than the elderly ones. A survey conducted at Ladipo shows that a high percentage of the traders sit back in the market premises to drink after the closure of work till about 8pm, but mostly 7pm for those in general market, while those trading on the streets stay till about 8pm. More people drink during weekends and for these people, whether there is money or not, they will drink because they have formed the habit of giving drinks to one another. Those, who made money for the day would buy for others who didn’t. In fact, it was surprising to see that some of them struggle just by mere promise of a bottle of beer. To some of them that carried heavy loads, after good food, beer is their next source of strength and happiness to do their jobs. This goes to explain why many people engage in hard labour do take beer and in some cases, cigarette. Young teenage boys doing one job or the other are also seen doing same. At Mazamaza Park, along Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Lagos, Patrick Udom

said he drinks beer not because of any special reason, but something he feels that is good for him, saying he grew up to see his father and his elder ones take beer and so, didn’t see anything wrong joining them. “I didn’t join the league for any special reason, but something I learnt from my

When you drink to a stupor, because you have one problem or the other, when the effect of alcohol leaves you, you will come back to the reality on ground

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MAY 01, 2016

downturn, to banks S

Sunday Magazine

How MTN staff was stabbed to death by ex-lover

Biodun Oyeleye Ilorin

environment. Beer aids digestion and it helps to stabilise the stomach acidity. I take Star but I tell you, I’m not addicted to it. If the price is going up and I don’t have money to drink it, I will stop. I’m taking it because I can still afford it.” Sometimes, drinking for some people is a thing of class. Some people go into this to appeal to certain class of people in the society. Some join ‘Stout’ club because of the kind of people that drink ‘Star’, others join Gulder because of that too. Some feel if one doesn’t drink beer or smoke, one is timid and not man enough. As a result, teenagers are embracing the alcohol tradition. By the time they grow up they would have become addicts and would steal to fund their lifestyle. Jideofor Nelson is a typical example of a child, who tried not to venture into drinking life as a secondary school leaver. “I would have been one of the drinkers now if not that God did not allow me. After my secondary school education, all my mates were taking one brand of beer or the other. “At that time, I tried to take ‘Stout’ and it almost made me to misbehave and I quitted. I turned to ‘Star’ but it gave me serious headache. I tried it again to confirm that my body doesn’t want it and I got the same signal. So, I moved away from alcoholic drinks because I’m not cut out for it. If I had started 15 years ago, it would have become a problem now. Though, as an adult, I started taking red wine occasionally.”

I drink to perform well in bed Philip Ogunbiyi, said, “I don’t drink beer like others do, I just drink it when I want to make love to a woman. When I take ‘Stout,’ it prolongs my ability, especially when I meet a lady that I like so much and will want to enjoy everything with her. With one or two bottles of ‘Stout’ the job is done. But I’m a social drinker.” Michael Ofili differs from Philip, saying: “If I drink before sex, I don’t enjoy it because I will not know where I am. I can’t explain that feelings after that experience. I enjoy it right with my senses. Let me tell you this story, I used to have a neighbour those days at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. His name is Osai. He used to have three male friends. “Each time they want to make love to their girlfriends, they usually bought drinks and Indian hemp, then locked themselves up in Osai’s room, where they would be smoking and drinking, while their girlfriends would be cooking rice for them with Indian hemp. “After cooking, they would all go inside and join the boys and right inside there, six of them would be ‘killing’ themselves. They could stay indoors for a whole day. They were very notorious guys on the campus.” But for Raluchukwu Udokwu, a hiphop artiste, alcohol is just a morale booster. “I’m a hip-hop artiste and when I take a few bottles of beer, they help me to perform well. I have gauge. When I get to that point, I will stop taking,” he said. Asked whether Indian hemp would do better than Star, he said: “I don’t take that one. I’m still young. May be when I

make money I can be doing that. There are some corporate guys that take it and still look neat and calm.” Perhaps, he is still one of those who are into alcohol for class reason. However, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Obiora, who spoke against drug abuse and alcoholism among young people, said drugs and alcoholism are never good boredom and depression killers, saying both offer temporal reliefs. “When you drink to a stupor, because you have one problem or the other, when the effect of alcohol wears off, you will come back to the reality on ground. “There are illnesses associated with drinking, including internal heat. When the weather is very cold, you will be sweating and feeling uncomfortable. It could lead to diabetes because of the sugar concentration. It also leads to Parkinson disease and kidney as well as liver failure. In young people, it retards mental growth. One can use them to induce sleep or happiness and get addicted to them to the point that they can’t sleep or be happy without them,” she warned. A food technologist, Samuel Chukwunulu, said: “Those, who take beer and other forms of alcohol, thinking that they are taking it for the fun, do not know the work of addictives in the beer. Why it is call additives is because it makes you addicted to that substance. This is part of the ingredients in beer, which alcohol is the chief. “What it does is that when you don’t take it, the addictive will be pushing you to have a bottle and from that one bottle, you will graduate to three bottles. But then, one can still develop attitude to a particular test and that is why some people prefer coke, fanta, gulder, stout, and Heineken among others.” He, however, noted that the increasing beer consumption in the country may also be as a result of increase in the population of young people, who are now enjoying themselves, taking alcohol for one social reason or the other. Alcohol, really, is not bad but excess of it is deadly. Meanwhile, Heineken’s first quarter results have shown that Nigerians are drinking more beer than they did this time last year. The results show that the volume of beer consumed by Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe, grew by 4.6 per cent in the first quarter of the year, most of the increase coming from Nigeria and Ethiopia. “Organic consolidated beer volume growth of 4.6 per cent was driven by growth in Nigeria and Ethiopia. Elsewhere in the region, volume was challenging and remains weak, with both affordability and lower tourism continuing to impact performance. Excluding Nigeria, volume would have been down organically for the region,” Heineken’s first quarter report said. The report continued: “In Nigeria, volume was flattered by an easy comparative, given the election in the same period last year; cycling the forthcoming quarters will be more difficult.” The world’s third largest brewer added that the challenging state of the Nigerian economy, as regards foreign exchange, is impacting its business adversely.

hocking details have emerged on how Miss. Oluwatosin Ashinwo, a Customer Care Officer with mobile telecommunication giant, MTN Nigeria, in Ilorin, Kwara State, was stabbed to death by her lover, after she allegedly ditched her upon discovering that he was married with two kids. The suspect, identified simply as engineer David, a staff of a private university also in Ilorin, also inflicted serious injuries on Tosin”s mother, Mrs. Ashinwo during a bloody encounter with the young lady, which culminated in her death. Trouble started when Tosin, a 2008 Business Administration graduate of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), who had been in the employment of MTN since September 2009, returned to her house on the fateful day, following a phone call from David. It was gathered that David, a married man, had found Tosin’s decision to quit the relationship and settle down with another man unacceptable, having discovered that he had no future with the suspect. It was gathered that Tosin’s mother, who was aware of the relationship, had actually come to Ilorin to mediate between her daughter and the lover. The ‘engineer’ was said to have dashed to the kitchen at the heat of their argument and allegedly brought out a knife with which he attacked the two women. “When he was stabbing her, she was shouting ‘Don’t kill me Engineer David. Don’t kill me, Engineer David. You already have two kids,’ one of the neighbours said. The neighbour argued that the man must have become angry that Tosin would still refuse his marriage intention after he had allegedly invested so much on her. Unconfirmed reports said he actually bought the car Tosin drove until her death, but the deceased was also described as a very hardworking lady who used to sell cloths in her spare time. Tosin’s mother was said to have managed to crawl towards the door while still raising alarm for help after their attacker had left the house. “She showed people the picture of the man and asked them to help but it was too late because he had driven away.” A nurse who saw her at the UITH said the mother was badly cut by her daughter’s lover. “She only survived by miracle,” the nurse told our reporter. Just as well, sources who saw the corpse of the late Tosin claimed she had no chance of survival going by the way she was stabbed. It was gathered that Tosin was transferred from the Kaduna office of the telecoms company last December, following a restructuring of staff at the office. “She resumed here in Ilorin last December,” a source familiar with her story told our reporter. But like several others who spoke on the incident, she asked not to be named in public because of fears about police inquiries. Sources said that a young man actually reported the matter to the police on the day of the incident, after he had made spirited efforts to open the gate leading to the deceased’s premises and efforts to get neighbours to help failed. The teenager, whose house sits next to the deceased’s apartment, was said to have overheard the shouts for help coming from

The late Tosin

Tosin’s mother and when he opened the window and saw what was happening ran to the main entrance of the building but met the gate locked. He then reportedly went to the next building but there was nobody at home. By the time he returned to Tosin’s gate, he reportedly saw the man already coming out, with bloodstain on his legs. Another neighbour, who saw the man but was ignorant of what happened in the building, claimed she saw him cleaning the blood stains from his legs before entering his Toyota Camry car to drive away. The young man who had witnessed part of the encounter was overtaken by fright that he could not raise the alarm, but ran straight to the police station, a distance of about one and half kilometres from the house. “He didn’t even take a bike which would have made the journey faster and by the time he came back, of course, the man had left,” the neighbour said. Spokesman for the Kwara State Police Command, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the incident and said that the command was already on the trail of the suspect. David’s mien A source within the neighbourhood confirmed that they had known both the ‘Engineer ‘and Tosin for some time and that she actually used to drive his car to her office once in a while. But neighbours said they had no interactions with the suspect because each time he came around, his tough look and domineering attitude scared people from him. “He would never open his mouth to greet you,” one neighbour said, adding: “I remember there was a young girl that Tosin used to relate with by sending her on errands but one day this man came and saw them and asked her to send the girl away.” Another source, who was also close to the deceased, claimed that there was a time Tosin, went to stay with a relative a few kilometres away from her residence only for the ‘Engineer” to call her and asked where she was. The source said: “He asked, ‘where are you coming from?’ and she said, ‘I was with my brother. He then asked ‘What were you doing there?’ She said resting. He asked again are you lying down or what and that one replied; how you expect me to rest if not by lying down. He just told her to come out immediately and you won’t believe it, Tosin just packed her things and headed to where the man was.”

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

news

Enugu killings: Conspiracy theory gains ground as police, army keep mum Kenneth Ofoma

A Enugu

nguish, frustration and anger were written all over Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. His voice rises gradually and pitched at a high note as he announced the constitution of judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the incident. Midway into his address to journalists and stakeholders on what transpired before and after the attack on the residents of Ukpabi-Nimbo last Monday, during which

more than 50 persons were massacred by suspected Fulani herdsmen, Ugwuanyi, on Friday, stopped short of openly indicting the security agencies for betraying him. The governor was at the verge of shedding tears, like he did during his visit to Ukpabi-Nimbo on Tuesday, a day after the attack. Many people actually thought the governor broke down in tears on beholding the bodies of victims recovered from farms that very morning of his visit. But subsequent accounts of what happened and how the governor was betrayed by security agencies, made some

people to attribute his tears to the betrayal that led to the avoidable carnage. There, allegedly, were several reports and forewarnings concerning the impending invasion by the herdsmen. There were several security meetings held with provision of logistics to the security chiefs by the governor to secure the community. The security chiefs gave assurances that they were on top of the situation. Then the governor went to sleep, only to wake up to the tragic news of the massacre in the morning. Ugwuanyi, while an-

nouncing the setting up of a judicial commission of inquiry, said, “The security agencies have a lot of question to answer. “So long as we are Nigerians, we cannot live in isolation but those who come to Enugu must respect our values and not engage in such dastardly act as we have witnessed recently. “I am at once, constituting a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of all the violent occurrences in the state associated with suspected Fulani herdsmen and recommend appropriate mea-

L-R: Ministers of Federal Capital Teritory, Mohammed Bello; Environment, Amina Mohammed, and Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, at a dinner by Association of Consulting Engineers in Nigeria (ACEN) for its president, Adamu, in Abuja…on Friday. PHOTO: NAN

Sola Adeyemo Ibadan

ike a cockatoo, Kamoru Ganiyu, a native of Iwo town in Osun State, has narrated to the Oyo State Police Command how he returned to armed robbery barely two months after he was released from the Abolongo Prison in Oyo town and led a gang in Ibadan and robbed a man of his car. Kamoru (28), who said that his parents were living in Ondo State but had disowned him, was arrested by the Oyo State Police on April 27, 2016 and paraded along with four other suspects at the Eleyele Police Command Headquarters. The Police Commissioner, Mr. Leye Oyebade, paraded 22 suspects comprising different gangs, who were arrested at different locations in connection with sundry criminal offences. He, however, lamented that three of the suspects were exconvicts, who went back to armed robbery after their release from prisons. Kamoru and Agu Onyeka (21), Biodun Jamiu

Ex-convict re-arrested for attempted murder, robbery (34), Dare Azeez (21), and Nurudeen Bilawu (30) were arrested at Iwo, a day after they had robbed Mr. David Niyi Abel of his Toyota Camry Muscle, marked DL 994 LLD at Akobo Oju Irin area of Ibadan along OlorundaAba area in Ibadan. The police recovered the car and a Tecno Android phone belonging to the victim from the suspected armed robbers. One of suspects shot the car owner in the left wrist before speeding off with the car. Luck, however, ran out on them as the car had a flat tyre and the robber, who fired the shot, abandoned the car, but was arrested later. The arrest was the end of the road for the four others. Speaking with Sunday Telegraph, Kamoru said, “I was released from Abolongo Prison in Oyo town on February 2, 2016. I had been remanded for armed robbery offence because there was no one to secure my bail. On

that fateful day, Biodun and Nuru called me and other colleagues on April 26 to meet them at Iwo Road. We went to snatch a car around Oju Irin at Akobo. “One of us, who had two guns, asked us to meet him there. We saw the man park his car by the side of the road. We swooped on him, and eventually when the man was running away, one of us, Radical, shot him in his left wrist and drove off the car later had a flat tyre.

“The followWe received a call asking us to come and meet the man, who wanted to buy the car. On getting there, we were arrested because we did not know our man had been arrested,” he said. Narrating why he went back to the business of crime, Kamoru said, “I went back to robbery because since I was released from prison, I did not have anywhere to stay or sleep. I was sleeping in vehicles and uncompleted buildings.

sures that will be put in place to prevent future occurrence. “What happened between 6.30am and 7.30 am on Monday 25th April, 2016, despite assurances from the security agencies? Only the security agencies can answer this question.” Present at the Government House Executive Council chambers, venue of the press briefing, were GOC 82 Division of the Nigeria Army, Enugu, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, represented by the Garrison Commander Brigadier General Olufemi Akinjobi; the State Commissioner of Police, Nwodibo Ekechukwu, and the State Director, Department of State Security (DSS), M. Abdul-Malik. Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, and other National Assembly members from the state were also present. Others were the State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ikeje Asogwa; Deputy Governor, Mrs. Cecilia Asogwa; Speaker of the State Assembly, Edward Ubosi; other Assembly members; the security chiefs in the state, among other stakeholders. Giving a detailed account of what transpired, Governor Ugwuanyi said: “On Sunday, April 24, 2016, by

iger State Government on Saturday assured that as part of plans to ameliorate the sufferings of orphans, it will relocate the children at the State owned Orphanage Home to their new home in Minna. The Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Jibrin Ndace made this disclosure when the Niger state

Correspondent of the New Telegraph Newspaper, Mr. Dan Atori donated items as part of activities to mark his birthday at the State-owned Orphanage Home, in Minna. While commending the celebrant for extending love to the children, Ndace assured that the children will be well taken care of by the government. Earlier, Atori lamented

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

Shiite members’ corpses intact in grave –Army

he Nigerian Army, yesterday, denied allegations levelled against it by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, that it was planning to steal corpses of Shite members from mass grave to distort evidence. A statement by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Abdul Usman, said it was unnecessary as the Judicial Commission of Enquiry visited the site of the mass grave in Kaduna, and obtained its report on Wednesday. The Army asked the IMN to face the Commission with its facts on the matter, if it had any. The Army said that its attention was drawn to

Niger govt to relocate orphans

7pm, the night before this carnage took place, I got a security report that the incident was likely to take place in the state. I immediately summoned a meeting of the State Security Council which commenced by 10pm. The meeting was attended by the following: 1. Garrison Commander Brigadier General Olufemi Akinjobi who normally represents the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division Nigerian Army 2. The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nwodibo Ekechukwu 3. The State Director of Department State Security Services (DSS), Mr. M. Abdul Malik 4. The State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Lar Stephen 5. Representatives of the Nigerian Air force, Federal Road Safety Corps and Nigerian Prison Services, who attended as observers. “From the side of government were, myself, the Governor; the Deputy Governor; the Secretary to the State Government; the Chief of Staff, the Chairman; State Traditional Rulers Council and the Honourable Attorney General of the State.

the state of home and the absence of basic facilities and urged the government to as a matter of urgency to relocate the children to their permanent site in order to ameliorate their suffering. Receiving the items, Mallam Sadiq Hussaini said the dilapidated foster home has 33 children with the youngest being four months old.

these allegations by an online media publication on Thursday where the IMN alleged that the Nigerian Army was planning to steal bodies from mass grave in Zaria. The IMN alleged that a contingent of soldiers had been deployed to keep guard at the site of the mass grave in an effort to prevent the uncovering of the hundreds of bodies buried there. “It is simply a figment of their jaundiced imagination and a campaign of calumny against the Army. “The Army strongly and categorically reject the IMN’s unfounded and spurious allegation. It is simply a concoction of lies and deliberate effort by the IMN to portray the Nigerian Army’s image negatively. “The Nigerian Army will like to make it abundantly clear that, it has never contemplated such act at anytime. “It’s of no relevance whatsoever. We are focused on discharging our constitutional duty as a professional military force”, the Army stated.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

OPINION Lest we forget! Chidia Maduekwe

ental capacity means a person’s ability to make own choices and decisions. The word intellectual is an adjective and showcases a person possessing intellect or mental capacity, especially to a high degree. With the above clarification it becomes worrisome how some previously celebrated men of knowledge will chose to go down the road of dirt and mud just to rubbish glaring and sterling qualities which President Muhammadu Buhari built over the years by questioning his intellectual capacity to govern Nigeria. To understand the intellectual capacity of PMB in the light of the above clarification it becomes critical to remind ourselves that intellectual capacity can only be effectively assessed over period of time of an individual right from the teenage years to the later years of the individual. Records abound that the intellectual capacity of PMB as teenager studying at the prestigious Kastina Government College was very robust. He served his peers as School Head Boy, School Prefect and Classroom Monitor at various points in time. One lacking in intellectual capacity could not have held the above positions under the colonial masters known for their strict adherence to intellectual and moral standards. It is very obvious that someone lacking in intellectual capacity would not have been appointed into the above various positions by the British colonialists who held sway at that time. As a teenager, PMB carried himself above average

as most of his living classmates till this day continue to render this testimony. Military officers also receive a good deal of physical, intellectual, military, moral and practical education. And this begins before induction at a military academy. Special trainings occur and reoccur throughout an officer’s carrier. It is instructive that one of the most respected Secretary Generals that America has ever had and a renowned international diplomat; General Collin Powel attended the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in the United States in 1976 before being commissioned a Brigadier General and from 1979 to 1980 our dear Muhammadu Buhari followed suit and obtained an equivalent Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies with honours from the same institution. As head of the PTF, the agency achieved very high standards to the extent that World Bank acknowledged that quality roads constructed by PTF were at a cost 70% of the World Bank standards which was unusual in Africa. The economy under the PTF program experienced growth and development, as most moribund pharmaceutical companies and building material companies started roaring back into life under his PTF demand for 65% local content for project execution. It is indeed sad that instead of celebrating our own Mai Gaskiya, some of us are set on doing all that is humanly possible to pull him down. Given the outlined pedigree of President Muhammadu Buhari, it would only take an out rightly senile or unenlightened person to assume that he lacks any capacity of whatever form to govern Nigeria. The

content of some of the courses studied at some of the trainings that were undertaken by our President clearly explains the reason why most great leaders of the world have been either serving or former military leaders. It also explains why the only Nigerian military or civilian government that is still being remembered with nostalgia is the government of Major General Muhammad Buhari/Idiagbon . Questioning the President’s intellectual capacity to govern is not only uncharitable and mean; it is also an assault on the constitution of the country which has set the standard for those who shall occupy that exalted position. Those making these invidious, reckless and imprudent claims are really the unpatriotic, undemocratic and indeed uncivilized elements in the country even as their claims remain self-serving. Lawyers rely on evidence and facts, but when senior lawyers abandon their time tested practice of basing their conclusions on these sacrosanct tenets of relying on facts and evidence then it must be noted that they have completely lost their relevance and should do well to keep quiet instead of steering undiscerning minds into revolt and causing discontent in the land. The days of phantom patriots are over, Nigeria is looking up to real patriots, the new tribe of Nigerians who believe that Nigeria has come to stay and are ready to join the president in building a self-reliant economy, in securing our nation, in getting our youth off the streets and cults by gainfully employing them, in making qualitative and functional education available to our children and in rebuilding

our infrastructure that was left to collapse by those who claim to know. The President’s proven training, education, career achievements and successes backed by an impeccable record of personal integrity stands him out as the best man for the job at this very critical stage of our national life. Indeed his coming can be said to be divine. He has equally carefully selected a team of some of Nigeria’s finest experts and technocrats led by another proven and tested judicial reformer in the person of Professor Yemi Osibanjo to help in the governance of the nation. What more can Nigeria ask for? Recall that when Major General Muhammadu Buhari came on board as our Head of State in 1983, he fought corruption and all forms of criminality tenaciously. Corruption fought back and booted him out only to recolonize Nigeria; the result is what we see today. The wayward are at it again, another fight against corruption and all that stand against the good of our nation has commenced and the wicked, the perverts and their hirelings have risen again singing the same old songs but this time we must all rise and resist them. They seek their own interest only, to ignore them would be tantamount to surrendering to evil and would lead only to the disintegration of our nation. The people voted for Muhammadu Buhari to lead them, he is doing an excellent job on his mandate. Dr Chidia Maduekwe, is a member of the Board of Editors of Buhari Media Support Group

Does Olujimi need bills to beautify beauties? Nsikak Ekanem

hough, so far this year, the organised women fold in Nigeria have not made seismic shift regarding feminine fight for fair functionality for females in Nigeria, the year 2016 would remain memorable in the annals of Nigerian women quest for a better deal. Like their counterparts all over the world, the Nigerian women did their beats, if not best, in observing the 2016 International Women’s Day on March 8. Days around the day were whirlwind weeks for women activists. In Nigeria, Senator Biodun Olujimi, a PDP faithful representing Ekiti South, took the shine off others. Curiously, her bill on gender equality was robustly debated on the floor of the Senate a couple of days after women, at different places in the world, converged and deliberated on the 2016 theme, “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for gender equality”. Though the bill did not withstand the menace of filibuster in the male dominated Senate, it enjoys triumphal treat in the media. As embodiment of beauties, women are driving force of beautification of the human race. Except virtues are thrown to the dogs, women epitomise love, comfort, joy and peace. When God saw the need of filling a gap of companionship for Adam He created a woman, not a man. From time immemorial, women in many parts of the world have to be climbing walls erected by religion, culture, tradition and social mores. In contemporary time, women have mounted efforts after efforts to break the walls. With assumption that men are the

blocks that form the wall erected against them many organisations have been formed exclusively for women without corresponding male counterparts. In Nigeria, for instance, there is the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) for female journalists who are also members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ). There is the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA). And the list goes on. Since 1995 that Sanni Abacha created the Ministry of Women Affairs the states in the Nigerian federation have replicated the initiative of the late former Head of State even as Ministry of Men Affairs is unthinkable. Observing that “(t)he women’s movement in Nigeria has lost its steam”, Reuben Abati, in his column in The Guardian of March 20, 2016, advised women, among other measures, in the following words: “Let Nigerian women form their own political parties.” However, even amidst apparent cloak of obscurity besetting them, some women have been standing out either on account of their heroic or villain deeds. Think of Biblical Mary Magdalene, Ruth, Esther, Jezebel, among others. Queen Amina of Zazzau in Northern Nigeria was a warrior king that ruled today’s Zaria Emirate in the early 15th Century and she has been mentioned with reputation for her pioneering role among the Hausas in fashioning out a formal government. At the dawn of Nigeria’s independence there had also been the Margaret Ekpos, and the Fumilayo Ransome Kutis. Since March 5, 1981 that Folake Solanke, a personification of beauty of brain, brawn, face and physique, opened the doors of the inner bar for female Nigerian lawyers, the

likes of Nella Andem-Rabana, Dorothy Ufot, who in their fifties are still dazzling like damsels, have demonstrated that the exalted rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is not exclusive preserved for men. Nigeria has had a number of female Vice Chancellors after Prof Grace Alele Williams became the first female Vice Chancellor in 1985. The likes of Christy Anyanwu, Remi Ayo, Comfort Obi, Funke Egbemode have trailed behind trailblazing Doyin Abiola as editor and successful media administrators in their respective mediums. Under the civilian administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, Dora Akunyili, Obiageli Ezekwesili and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala were among few political office holders that enjoyed not only admiration from wide spectrum of the Nigerian society but got international accolades on account of their performances. None of those women used any women organisations to bulldoze the rocky path to the pinnacle of their careers. The women’s wall is not only made up of men. In many cases the woes of women are made worst by women themselves. Find out: who joins issues more with their daughters-in- laws? How many Nigerian women would welcome a daughter-in- law craving equality with their sons? How many Nigerian women prefer a female boss to a male? How many women campaign and queue behind women seeking elective offices? While men mostly inflict physical wound on women, women often wreak psychological scars on men; and psychological injury could be more devastating. It is com-

monplace in many families that husbands sit in sitting rooms relishing nature-given positions of being family heads while the wives call the shot in virtually every deed and decision from their kitchens. No human imbued with a modicum of humanistic instinct would subscribe to diminishing the virtue of another under the pretext of promoting either culture, religion, tradition or whatever of that ilk. Men who are beastly to beauties are not just beasts to women and girls, they are beasts to the universal humankind; the beastliness in maniacs manifests more when flexing muscles with the helpless, of which women and children are the most vulnerable. Undoubtedly, there are number of men whose psychs are congenitally influenced by misogynistic tendencies. A number of things surrounding Olujimi’s bill on women tend to portray the Senator from Governor Ayo Fayose’s Ekiti State as a beautician desirous of using parliamentary license and power to turn the floor of the Senate to personal salon for beauty therapy and makeup artist, and shop for haute couture so she could add weightier feathers to wigs of women, suffuse girls faces with more colour, hence making them more gorgeous, and inject more fatty acid to the heaps and bums of women thereby making their back to wriggle whimsically and majestically; all of which are beautiful attributes that may be at the expense of men at best and take more than the spirit of a man to overcome accompanying temptations at worst. Kanemi wrote from Lagos

Sunday Mail

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* Letters to the Editor

The Sunday Telegraph

Dear Editor,

Dear Editor

Hard work pays: Water vendors busy filling their containers with water at Agege, Lagos.

at regional, continental and global levels. It is important for the country to appreciate its fundamental dynamics by making policies that will ensure sustainable economic development. Advocating and supporting made-inNigeria goods is a sure way to turn around our dwindling economic fortune. Nigerians should encourage indigenous entrepreneurs by patronising locally produced goods and services. It is only in doing this that we could develop and transform local industries. There is no country that has managed to transform itself without adequate industrial growth or wholesome dependence on imported goods. We need to empower local industries. TAYO OGUNBIYI, IKEJA, LAGOS

Government should apologise to Saraki Dear Editor, To say that a large percentage of socially and politically conscious Nigerians have followed keenly the continued persecution of the President of the Eighth Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, for simply defying the odds in clinching the highly coveted position will not be an understatement. The Senate President himself has stated categorically the very reason he has continued to be victimised and treated as such. Hence, one cannot but wonder that if one person who holds such a sensitive position as this

can have his colleagues on the political field deliberately tilt things against him and shift the goalpost and then what fate awaits ordinary Nigerians. In recent times, two matters have come up that once again question the credibility of the supposed war against corruption as bordering more around the precincts of overall political persecution. First, was the rumoured withdrawal of the services of the prosecuting counsel in the matter, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), for no just reason other than the fear that he will and even has been compromised having reportedly cut his legal teeth under the tutelage of the defence counsel, the vintage former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi (SAN). The second was the noticeable flaw leading to the apparent withdrawal of two out of the 13 count charges brought against the Senate President. These developments show that the government is indeed under enormous pressure to deliberately ensure the prosecution and political persecution of the Senate President without any due regard for the rule of law. The Danladi Umar-led Code of Conduct Tribunal for reasons best known and unknown remains a major tool toward achieving this end. It remains visible to even the blind and audible to the deaf that a script is in play with very strict instructions to nail, shame and even jail Dr. Bukola Saraki through any and all means possible.

This trial has proven to be a manual on getting your enemies by hook, or by crook! We have seen the law bent in the course of the determination of the pre-trial matter of jurisdiction particularly regarding salient conditions precedent to arraignment before the tribunal. I will not end this piece without a word of advice to the learned prosecutor that it remains trite that he maintains and respects the rule of law by allowing the defence to all legal aids his might require in the pursuit of his proving his innocence. As a concerned Nigerian, it is best for the Federal Government to simply tow the path of honour by withdrawing the matter against the Senate President quietly, apologise unequivocally to him, and take a step further by removing all traces of the currently visible fingers of politics, witch-hunting and politicking in order to validate its posture and war against sleaze, graft and corruption. OLALEKAN ALABI, LAGOS

The billion naira SUVs for Senate Dear Editor, Time and time again, the Senate has always conducted its affairs in a manner that is insensitive and at variance with the sensibilities of the Nigerian people. The latest issue that is the subject of public discourse apart from the many follies

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Frequent NFF crisis and shameful impact

A vote for made-in-Nigeria goods It is encouraging to note that the Federal Government is currently working on plans to promote the production and consumption of local products. Undoubtedly, this is a sensible thing to do. Besides providing solution to the unemployment problem in the country, encouraging the production and consumption of local products, it could also usher us into the path of the much-desired economic prosperity. This is the secret behind the rising profiles of the now prosperous Asian tigers. Our ability to achieve a similar feat will depend on our capacity to harness human and material resources towards the promotion of made-in-Nigeria goods that can compete in both local and international markets. Sustainable development that would guarantee jobs, vary the economy, advance the standard of living as well as security of lives and property depends on the existence of a robust economic development agenda that encourages production and sustenance of local goods. For local industries and goods to enjoy sufficient patronage from consumers, there is need for the National Assembly to come up with a local patronage bill that would ensure that made-in-Nigeria goods and local producers are protected. It is a thing of serious concern that the production capacity of the local industries can neither suit local consumption nor exports. A situation where Nigerians depend on imported goods for all manner of items is, to say the least, appalling. The idea of patronising made-in-Nigeria goods should not be regarded as a parochial scheme. Rather, it should be viewed as a call for nationwide partnership to develop the kind of collective commerce pattern that would have positive bearing on national development. There is a need for overhaul of our importation policy to discourage items that can be locally manufactured, as the leather exhibition has proved. We need to embrace attitudinal, structural, and cultural change that would enable major stakeholders to modify their outlook towards made-in-Nigeria goods. Certainly, made-in-Nigeria goods will boost the nation’s manufacturing sector and by extension create more jobs. It is through this that indigenous firms can take advantage of bigger markets

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PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE

of the Senate, which is a threat to the sustenance and stability of our democracy, is the latest purchase of SUVs in these austere times of dwindling national funds. One recalls that the Eighth Senate since the advent of this present administration after the conduct of the 2015 general election has been refusing to submit itself to due process, transparency and accountability, which are key tenets of democratic principles. The Senate must be told in clear and frank terms, that times have changed and it’s no longer business as usual. It is baffling and disturbing to vast majority of Nigerians, that despite the reality of the times in which Nigeria is battling with so many problems ranging from insecurity, fuel scarcity, high unemployment, infant and maternal mortality, high crime rate, broken down public infrastructure, non-payment of workers’ salaries across all levels of government as a result of paucity of funds, public officials remain insensitive. By this insensitive action, the Senate has put a seal to public knowledge about their mindsets and actions as evidence of being cut off from reality by its insensitivity and disdain for the plight and welfare of the people which ought to be the foremost consideration in their actions but is now taking a back seat and not even worth considering. NELSON EKUJUMI, LAGOS.

The last has not been heard about the frequent crises rocking the football house following the court ruling in Jos. When the world football governing body intervened in our case in 2013 to ensure the smooth running of our football, Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief that the issue had been finally settled and Nigeria would move forward to continue to be in the scheme of the football family the world over. However, the ruling of the Jos court installing Ambassador Chris Giwa to assume the leadership of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) threw the soccer loving fans of Nigeria into confusion. The Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalong should be blamed for opening the old wound by trying to mediate on issues that have already been foreclosed, hence the move by Ambassador Chris Giwa rushing to court to relist the case for hearing which favoured him at the detriment of progress of soccer development of this country. The attempt by Chris Giwa to take over the secretariat of NFF is an insult and overzealous on his part, to cause confusion in order to give room for FIFA to ban Nigeria. If the soccer ruling body goes ahead and slams a ban on us, the blame should go to the minister for his careless move of reopening the case already settled. Nigerians can’t afford not to take part in any soccer event this year, especially the soccer event of the Olympic Games coming up this year in Rio Brazil, which Nigeria has already qualified to be one of the countries to represent Africa at the event. All hands must be on the deck to solve this impasse in NFF to avoid the big stick of FIFA. Die hard football loving Nigerians will not tolerate any ban due to some group or individuals for their selfish reason that tends to override that of the interest of the entire country. BALA NAYASHI, FCT, ABUJA YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HEARD! SEND YOUR LETTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHS TO THESUNDAYLETTERS@ GMAIL.COM. LETTERS SHOULD NOT BE MORE THAN 200 WORDS AND MUST HAVE THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE SENDER

SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

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Enugu killings: Conspiracy theory gains ground as police, army keep mum CON TINUED FR O M PAGE 10 Christ Holy Church. I saw

“In the meeting, we received assurances from the Commissioner of Police that the Area Commander of SARS was on ground in Nimbo. -That the Anti-Terrorism Unit was at Nimbo. - That he was in contact with the Kogi State Commissioner of Police and reported suspected herdsmen grouping at Odolu in Kogi State, preparatory for an attack on Nimbo and Abbi communities. - That Police mobile force and conventional police were already drafted to Nimbo and Abbi communities. - That he was in touch with the Area Commander, Idah, ACP Ikegwuonwu and had linked him with the Area Commander, Nsukka, ACP Monday Kuryas. “Both men, according to the CP, reported that there were no traces of suspected herdsmen in Nsukka or Idah. -That he ordered the Area Commander, Nsukka, to redeploy to Nimbo. -That the Garrison Commander, on his part, assured the meeting that Military was already deployed to Nimbo. “Let me state that the state government provided logistics for these deployments. “After receiving these assurances of deployments to Nimbo, I felt quite confident that we had done everything possible to forestall an attack on Nimbo. I have deliberately narrated what transpired at the Security Council meeting fully conscious of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution pertaining to my oath of office. I am doing this in due discharge of my duties as Governor. “Sadly, in the early hours of Monday, reports of this carnage reached me. More disturbing was the report that the attack of innocent and defenceless citizens were carried out at about 6.30am. “Further reports available to me indicate that apart from the killing and maiming of innocent and defenceless citizens of Nimbo, a church was also burnt. Following this development, I engaged the security agencies in order to ensure that the Nimbo area was secured from further attacks that might escalate the situation. “On Tuesday, April 26, 2016, I visited Nimbo in order to establish, first hand, the extent of carnage. My visit to Nimbo was revealing. I came face to face with the wounded and bereaved. I saw burnt and damaged personage of

a traumatised community in shock and despair. I saw a dead body. I wept. I wondered what has become of our quest for a united, peaceful and prosperous nation.” Efforts to reach the GOC 82 Division, Enugu, through the Army Public Relations Officer (APRO), Col. M. Gambo; the State Commissioner of Police, Nwodibo Ekechukwu, and the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Ebere Amaraizu, were unsuccessful as they did not take several calls to their mobile phones by Sunday Telegraph. They also did not respond to text messages sent to them. The message reads, “Good evening Sir, I’m Kenneth Ofoma of New Telegraph Newspaper. I’m calling to get a reaction from you concerning Governor Ugwuanyi’s allegation that the security agencies have questions to answer regarding the killings at Nimbo by suspected Fulani herdsmen”. After sending the message, several calls were made to them through their mobile phones again, but they didn’t respond. The composition of the membership of the judicial commission of inquiry is expected to be announced soon by Governor Ugwuanyi. It will be recalled, that during his visit to UkpabiNimbo on Wednesday, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, ordered the detention of a policeman for his alleged collaborative role in the invasion and massacre of residents of Nimbo community in Enugu State by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Monday. He also directed a highpowered investigation of the whole saga before, during and after the attack. Arase ordered that the officer, Corporal Chukwu, be investigated. The order was coming on the heels of allegation of police complicity in the attacks. The IGP visited the beleaguered community alongside the Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial zone, Senator Chukwuka Utazi. The villagers at UkpabiNimbo had alleged that the police officer, simply identified as Corporal Chukwu, was a known collaborator with the herdsmen. Consequently, while addressing journalists, Arase said no policeman who collaborates with criminal elements to perpetrate crime would go unpunished; stressing that such person must be dismissed from the force.

L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (3rd left); his Wife, Bolanle (middle); Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I; APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Wife of former Governor Ogun State, Mrs. Derin Osoba and her husband, Aremo Olusegun Osoba during an evening of Jazz Music with the Governor in commemoration of the International Jazz Day 2016, at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Saturday, April 30, 2016.

Tinubu, Saraki, Mark, Obiano, others mourn Oba of Benin

he death of the Oba of Benin, Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa has predictably elicited reactions from across the country, with Senate President, Senator Bukola commiserating with the government and people of Edo State saying: “We have lost a people’s monarch”. In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki described the late Oba as a just, fair-minded, courageous, benevolent and a people’s monarch who lived his entire life in the service of his people as a prince and king while also serving the nation as a bureaucrat and diplomat of high repute. The Senate President who received the news of Oba Erediauwa’s transition with great shock said, “a glorious chapter in the annals of the Benin Kingdom has just come to a close. My grief stricken heart however goes out to the immediate family of the Oba, the Benin Traditional Council, the people and Government of Edo State, over the glorious but yet sad exit of the Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa - our highly revered King. “He was a fearless and pious monarch - attributes that distinguished him among other monarchs in the country. As we mourn the departure of our highly revered and benevolent patriarch, I can only enjoin his immediate family and the people of Edo State to take solace in the long, peaceful, enigmatic life of the departed which was full of exemplary service to his subjects and the entire country,” he said. He prayed the Almighty God to grant Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa of Benin eternal welcome and bliss in the midst of his ancestors and make his successor-

designate a greater king and worthy successor who would positively advance the commendable legacies of progress and development exemplified by Oba Erediauwa. In his reaction, National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu described the departure of the revered Oba of Benin as a great loss, coming at a time when his ethics, wisdom and political astuteness would be of great service serve to building a virile and durable Nigeria. “The Oba of Benin was a sterling example of royalty by virtue of both the position he held and by the excellent personality of this great man. The most enduring kingdoms of all kingdoms with a history rooted in time and achievement. The kingdom has brought great honour to Nigeria and I believe it will continue to even after his demise. “With his passing away, we must strive to live by his legacy of honesty, justice, fairness and respect for tradition and culture. “He imbued the throne with the steadfast dignity and moral force that bestowed honour and glory of his forbears,” said the former governor of Lagos State. And the immediate past President of the Senate, Senator David Mark also described the death of the Oba of Benin as a monumental loss to the nation. In a statement released by his Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh, Senator Mark noted that the respected Benin monarch was a leader who distinguished himself in many respects especially in the preservation of African culture and tradition to the admiration of Historians and Political Scientists globally. In his condolence message to the government and people of Edo State on the transition to the great beyond of

the Benin monarch, Senator Mark stated that Oba Erediauwa’s reign was a unique era in the contemporary history of Nigeria “because his reign was characterized by peace, unity and progress in the kingdom and beyond”. According to Mark “Nobody can deny the fact that Oba Erediauwa was a true African leader who placed high priority on the protection and welfare of his people at all times. He made the ancient city of Benin the centre of attraction and indeed accommodated both indigenes and foreigners alike. “He was a great King who upheld the sanctity of the truth no matter the circumstances and ensured that there was fairness and equity to all. His strongest weapon was the truth and he deployed it effectively in the administration of the Benin kingdom.” Senator Mark told the government of Edo State to immortalize the Monarch for his immeasurable contributions to the development of the nation just as he enjoined the Benin traditional council to take solace in the fact that Oba Erediauwa lived a dignified, exemplary and truly accomplished life worthy of emulation. And the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has also expressed his deepest condolences to the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the people of Edo State on the passage of Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa. In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, James Eze, the governor described Oba Erediauwa’s passage as a huge loss to Nigeria. Obiano, who described the late monarch as “the last of the titans”, further observed that while he lived, Oba Erediauwa stood out as a bridge builder whose influence spread across the country and beyond.

“Oba Erediauwa was always fully aware of his great place in history and never failed to rise to the occasion. He carried the weight of his office well and lent depth to the much desecrated traditional institution. He was oracular in his ways and commanded respect from afar. Oba Erediauwa will be sorely missed for his urbanity, scholarship and cultural rootedness,” Governor Obiano observed. In his own reaction, former governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion expressed his grief over the passing - on of the Benin monarch. In a condolence message on behalf of himself and his family, Chief Igbinedion recalled the wonderful support he enjoyed from the monarch during his tenure as the governor of Edo State and noted in particular that the unprecedented peace, harmony, tranquillity and development witnessed during his tenure as governor were made possible by the late Oba whose wisdom in handling thorny issues surpassed human understand. And the Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has also commiserated with the people of Edo State over the translation of the Oba of Benin. Aregbesola, in a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, described the era of the departed monarch as golden saying he brought glamour to the throne while adding development to his people. He stated that the monarch lead a remarkable and an eventful life during his long reign in Edo. According to the governor, the great monarch demonstrated through his peaceful and development-oriented rule that monarchs still have very important roles to play in governance in the country.

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

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Bradford Alumni insists on good ambassadorship

t was an evening of fun, friendly re-unions, networking and laughter at the Jade palace, Victoria Island, Lagos as the Alumni Association Annual Lecture of the University of Bradford’s School of Management drew several gleaming Nigerian minds and alumni to the event. In a statement signed by Mr. Adedunmade Onibokun, the Alumni President, Henry Ikem Obih, said Bradford School of Management Alumni has drawn young men and women from all over the world and urged them to carry the School of Management’s dynamic and entrepreneurial spirit with

them as they pursue their careers in all parts of the world. The statement reads in part: “This year, the theme centred on ‘Entrepreneurship’ and in attendance were two wonderful speakers, who delivered excellent lectures on the topic, especially as it revolved around doing business in Nigeria. “The first speaker, Chief Executive Officer, POISE Graduate Finishing School, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, is a proud alumni of the School of Management, and delivered a paper on “Impression Management and Networking,” while the keynote speech was delivered by Mrs. Ndidi Nwuneli (MFR).”

Mende to get footbridge Muritala Ayinla

espite has come the way of residents of Mende, Arowojobe in Maryland of area of Lagos State as Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has ordered the reconstruction of link bridge which collapsed about 15 years ago. Sunday Telegraph learnt that the absence of the bridge, which links the community with neighbouring communities and Maryland, has aggravated the suffering of the residents and made movement difficult. The residents had raised alarm over the development, describing the collapsed bridge as threat to their safety, apart from denying them access to neighbouring communities. But speaking at stakeholders’ meeting with residents on the modality of the bridge reconstruction project, the state’s Commissioner for Works

and Infrastructure, Ganiyu Johnson, an engineer, appealed to the residents to cooperate with the contractor, saying adequate measures have been taken for timely reconstruction of the project. According to him, the contractor had been mobilised to site since April 21, 2016 but there was need to carry the residents along on the project as well as plan on the alternative temporary access roads for residents. “The Governor has graciously approved the construction of the bridge for the residents of Mende, Arowojobe in Kosofe Local Government. Because he (Ambode) is committed to operating an allinclusive government, he also asked us to carry you along to consider your impute on how best the project can be executed. So, your suggestions and comments are germane to the execution which has commenced.”

Guber aspirant laments Ondo workers’ plight P ublic workers in Ondo State, who are currently reeling under the pains of accumulated unpaid salaries have been urged to expect a new dawn, as the current “reign of darkness” will soon come to an and. A governorship aspirant on the platform of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Prince Peter Oyeleye Fasua, gave the admonition in a Workers Day message he issued yesterday. Fasua, an indigene of Akure, said it was not only appalling but also disgraceful that despite the fact that Ondo State is an oil-producing state, the state government cannot pay workers’ salaries for upwards of five months. “It is tragic and an iron-

ic twist that Ondo State workers have not been paid for five months despite that workers’ salary is only a fraction of the income accruing to the state both as federal allocation and oil derivation revenue. “I want to appeal to our suffering workers to endure till we effect the genuine change on the platform of the CPP, which is coming to rescue the people from this modern slavery.” He also observed that last year, the state government sacked close to 2,000 civil servants, especially newly recruited teachers, yet it has been unable to meet its obligations to the few ones left in its employ.

2016 Budget will be signed this week – Osinbajo Anule Emmanuel

V Abuja

ice President Yemi Osinbajo has confirmed that the 2016 Appropriation Bill will be signed into law this week. Osinbajo stated this yesterday at the ‘Platform’ a nondenominational conference, sponsored by the Covenant Christian Centre in Abuja. He said once the budget is assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari, government will immediately go to work commencing with the completion of power projects that were left uncompleted by the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Vice President Osinbajo explained that the budget will be become operational in the next few days.

The Vice President criticized Nigerians most of whom now have mixed feelings about the ‘Change Agenda’ of the federal government. He explained that they were unnecessarily impatient with an administration that was working behind the scenes to correct the ills that has been inflicted on them over the years. “People now wonder where is the ‘Change’ where is the change that formed the crux of our electioneering campaigns during the elections, but they fail to understand that patience is also a virtue that they must have as a people”. According to the Vice President now that it has been established that oil resources can no longer guarantee the sustenance of the economy, owing to fall in its price at the international market,

Federal Government would spearhead the diversification process where most states are found wanting. He said such diversification will begin from three key sectors of agriculture, technology and innovation as well as entertainment. Vice President Osinbajo noted the benefits inherent in the agricultural sector, noting that Nigeria requires an average of 7million metric tonnes of rice to feed its population, annually but that foreign exchange that goes into rice importation was between N4 to N5billion each year. He said such statistics spurred government to invest about N7billion in Kebbi State rice plantations, which currently produces one million metric tonnes of rice at an estimated value of N63billion. Speaking specifically on

power infrastructure, he noted that it was somehow inconsistent for power tariff to increase when power services were poor but that customers must imbibe the altitude of regular payment of bills in order for the system not to collapse entirely. Meanwhile, Osinbajo on Saturday identified innovation and change as key to attaining the developmental aspirations of the country. He said this in his keynote speech at a development roundtable, `The Platform’, held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. He said there were plans to pay bursary awards to 100 Science, Technology and Mathematics students from 2016 and establish an innovation fund to support research and product development and commercialisation activities.

President and Chairman of Council, Institute of Directors, Nigeria,(IOD) Mr. Yemi Akeju; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and second Vice President, IOD, Chief Chris Okunowo, during the presentation of commemorative award to the Ooni in his palace by the Insitute at Ile-Ife, Osun State, recently

Navy destroys 100 illegal refineries in Bayelsa Pauline Onyibe Yenagoa

he outgoing Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Apochi Ogabu Suleiman, has said that within seven months, the command destroyed 100 illegal refineries; arrested many suspected oil thieves and impounded ships and other vessels used by vandals. Rear Admiral Seleiman, who was speaking in Yenagoa over the weekend before handing over the command to FOC, Rear Admiral Tarioworio Dick, the first indigene of the area

to head the office, said he engaged illegal refiners and other maritime criminals in battles and made the crimes unappealing.. Stating that crime does not pay, advised “pirates and oil thieves to desist from the crimes,” because the command will sanction offenders severely in accordance with the extant rules and regulations in order to curb maritime crimes.” During his seven month tenure at the command, Suleiman commissioned five projects he initiated and executed including an expansive swimming pool to keep the naval officers familiar and abreast of

their natural environment, and establish a magazine titled: ‘Central Searchlight’, a publication of the Chief of Naval Staff. In recognition of his excellent performance, the Community Media Network (CMN), led by Delight Ozoegbe presented an award to the FOC, and commended him for reducing maritime crimes especially in the state. The new FOC Tariworio Dick in his remarks, however, appealed to the communities to cooperate with the Navy by volunteering information on those committing illegal activities, because the criminals do

not mean well for the community and nation. “I am disturbed by the actions of crude oil thrives because they dig the ground and use it as a storage facility. It damages the environment to the extent that our own children may not recover from what they have done. “They are not friends and so there should be the whole community approach towards tackling crude oil theft, sea robbery and piracy, social commitment and responsibility, in the earnest efforts to facilitate the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region,” he said.

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Patra’s dilemma 1 22 Denim like a rock star 18,39 Dangote is my celebrity crush – Sylvya Oluchy 42

Fear of failure keeps me going – Gbenga Adeyinka

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Contents 01.05.2016

COVER

As soon as you notice your edges thinning out, take action. Ignoring the problem will only make it worse and will lead to permanent damage

Bod

while you’re taking care of your body at the gym, it’s essential you take care of your skin after a workout session

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Patra ’s dile mma 22 1 Denim like a rock 18,39 star Dan cele gote is – Sylvbrity crumy s h y 42 a Oluchy

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Fea – Gbr of fai eng lure a Ad keep eyin s m ka e go ing

MY PASSION I’m still looking for my other half. I am not in a relationship at the moment

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BED, WORK & LIFE He turned to her, held her hands and said, “My love, I can no longer pretend. I have fallen hopelessly in love with you. You can kill me if it is your wish. I’ll gladly die. Fate had been unkind to me. You brought joy into my life, it’ll go with you if you decide to leave me.”

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T h e Te a m Vanessa Okwara (Editor) Wole Adepoju (Snr. Correspondent) Biwom Iklaki (Correspondent) Abiola Alaba Peters Edwin Usoboh (Graphics) Isma’il Akintunde (Graphics) +234 (0) 818 0515840, +234 (0) 701 110 1014 vanessaonsunday@yahoo.com, julietbumah@gmail.com

Associates

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}22

allows her keeps mute and ed in A country that as d and m sacr ens to be invade artless marauders te tiz no ci s r’ ito ed y M es by he their own hom nomads of really had a u g trouble. The es above yo tin e ur tim co st ly la e on th is lv as se w n lk em ta he th W er I’m place e type of laught e all on e world cannot good laugh? Th spirited, flowing freely th w of settled humanity. If we ar any et la e fre ns ai th so ag is t ar eou w m g ab so ing ge of wagin within you; pa e ep m de istrasa re in e he m th ad ew t e presen from som as you try of terrorism, th . ars to gush out rm ok te fo g bo in to us er le ca ht op es ug tim spasms. La bring these pe t er us ht you m r ug n la ve tio e ne th he l us declato contro e, laugh w spite of all thes ul; it’s the hilario th livwhen lf In so e se th ur r yo fo ng od lli fo is wor m ki man that life is n; keeps you fro g in the ration made by ughs the same in every ca There is nothin ughter d. ba e ar gs la in y la th od as yb l us er sa io er Ev ag iv nt g. in un ibly co e laughter is a world so irresist language becaus r. ou hum e ex- and good merchants lik connection. der humour er has become ht on nt w ug va la o le , N ly re te e m na Unfortu have beco led with so nga Adeyinka e is one of the comete in a world fil I mean, Gbe H s. pensive to crea y. ng lli da ki to s y es et el ci d sens our so rtainment much hatred an ugh in the face of death in aves in the ente on our w g in ak m s la an scinating story how can anyone killed by wicked indi- di stry. Read his fa s of fellow citizen sed as Fulani herdsmen? indu for this week. cover of beautiful Bevviduals disgui llings by these alking the style st e ar e W our Style The spate of ki en across eek. Flip over to s Fulani herdsm s wiped erly Naya this w ur fashion page ge to see why. O t pa en r the country ha rr ke cu al St of t as s re u ab e face laughter off th ven are packaged to keep yo and the men are of Nigerians. Se n styles in the fashion world m Dude page te la hundred and ft out as our G d also not le to care for your body after a Nigerians kille w ho u yo The mind Fu la ni tells ut at the gym. by ko or w s d, ou or rig go to hell’ on Be herdsmen in series, ‘I’ll rather ues this week g in ow bl s page contin 10 month Work and Life miss it. is definitely u don’t want to yo re su I’m d an It alarming! ve a package. Do ha has left us deed a bumper in s It’ of fearful k ahead! wonderful wee what might happen next.

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GLAM DUDES

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Ring out your inner sass with a pair of ripped jeans and studded t~shirt

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BEAUTY ZONE

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FASHION

I know a lot of people say it, but I know my wife can never ever cheat on me. Never!

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Helen Paul

Eyitayo Aloh

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StyleSta ker

Beverly Naya Sexy siren

oday’s celebrity style we are stalking is the beautiful Nollywood actress and Dark & Lovely ambassador, Beverly Naya. Beverly is one hot sexy dresser and she is blessed with the body to pull off the ‘sexy siren’ look in whatever she puts on. Beverly has the gift to carefully combine colours, patterns and cuts for outstanding and stylish looks and highlights everything with her pretty face and natural fro. Beverly Naya looks smashing as a Naturalista. She started her natural hair journey more than a year ago and the growth is simply amazing! The UK groomed Nollywood actress is very experimental with designs and seems to favour body fitted outfits over flowing structures. All these make it easy to spot her on almost every best dressed list. She definitely made most of the best dressed lists at the last Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards, AMVCA2016. At that event, Beverly wore a green dress with pearl details made by Sisiano; the train of this dress was everything. She opted for very minimal jewelry and her hairdo was perfect for the entire look, and this made her one of our best dressed. Also, she switched up her style which she rocked at the nominee’s cocktail party of the AMVCA 2016. She rocked a crop top over sunny yellow fringe trousers and topped it off with her full afro hairdo. The new hairdo and look, according to the actress, is just a decision to be different from the norm after having the same look for

many years in the industry. Early this year, the sexy actress released breathtaking pictures to lunch her new website. In one of the shoots, she wore a purple velvet dress which did nothing but accentuate her curves and accessorized with silver jewelry. What’s not to love about this beauty? Check out some of the reasons why we are crushing hard on her today!

Body&Soul

Body&Soul 18

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Denim Biwom Iklaki

e all agree that de like the rock star of girl’s wardrobe. If true, it could also take you to ro status once you don it. The vers you get from denim can only be ma by the LBD. Bring out your inner sas a pair of ripped jeans and studded t

Editor’s current obsession

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

Here Beyond Nifty sleeveless jackets Biwom Iklaki

lazers and jackets give your look clean lines and a formal mien. The businesslike look is known to give you extra confidence; this is why it is preferred for formal wear and black tie events. Women love to appear ever ready and on point at every occasion. Since it is hardly possible to move around with oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closet, we devised a way to kill a stylish bird with one designer stone, ergo the sleeveless jacket. This piece of clothing has been made versatile and depending on how you style it, it can take you from day to night. On a chilly day, pair with a turtle neck sweater and pants, jeans or skirt while a hot day would permit you to wear the sleeveless jacket with a sleeveless tank top. It works well to bring together the minimalist or monochrome look and could also bring the sassy pop of colour into a dull ensemble. While the sleeveless jacket look is structured, it could also be fitted if your cross it over, ever so slightly and belt it up and voila, you have a cinched waist. This look is so versatile it is no wonder it appeals to women across the globe with different style preferences. Here, with Ankara, light weight fabrics while those beyond stick to slightly heavier fabrics in the cold winter, especially tweed.

Body&Soul

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Fear of failure keeps me His first introduction was an appearance at a function about 10 years ago. Since then, Gbenga Adeyinka has so mastered his art that he has become one of the very best in the business. The graduate of English from the University of Lagos is the first Nigerian Stand-up comedian to have performed in the 36 states of the federation. In this exclusive interview, he shares with WOLE ADEPOJU and ABIOLA ALABA PETERS, top secrets about his personal life and plans for the future

Why comedy? Comedy for me is more like an everyday thing; I only discovered it on the campus of the University of Lagos after which I went professional. It’s something that comes naturally to me, I try not to force it, when it comes naturally, it’s always a sterling performance. I worked in my uncle’s engineering firm after I left UNILAG, but after a while, I felt I wasn’t enjoying my job. It was the regular 9-5 for me and I wanted more and that was when I met Ali Baba, Akin Akindele and later Tee A. The rest, as they say, is history. I was brought up by a lot of uncles and aunties as a community project. They were not very happy but I had made up my mind and the fear of failure made me push on. What has really kept you going as a successful entertainer? What has kept me going is the fear of failure. Unfortunately for me, I’ve been thrown into the ocean of relative success. And not sustaining it would be a sign of career failure. So, that keeps me going; the desire to forge ahead and break new grounds. The desire to prove people wrong, because a lot of people have said, and I know, that, ‘Gbenga Adeyinka is not funny; he’s not supposed to be doing this’. So, the desire to prove a lot of people wrong has kept me going and the desire to build a career also. But most importantly is the desire to continue to feed my family. It’s a hunger-inspired project. I have to continue feeding them and if I fail, then that is going to stop. That’s it basically. As a successful comedian, what in your view are the qualities that make one successful in the industry? I think it’s understanding that what we do is show business; a little show and a lot of business. Be committed to your art, be original, and try to create something for yourself. You can steal from other people -the dress sense of somebody, the appearance of another person, the delivery of another person - but you have to put all that together to form you, so that people won’t say ‘that guy sounds like or looks like’. If you can find that perfect thing and God is with you, I think your prayers are beginning to be answered. Who are the people you understudied in your formative days? The funny thing is that I understudied everybody. I understudied Ali Baba. I liked something about everybody. So what I did was that I tried as much as possible to pick one or two things from people, but for me, my most brazen mentor was Ali. I picked a couple of things from Akin Akindele too. I was fortunate there were people who were already doing this, who were successful when I started. So, I knew what I wanted and what I wanted to do. And I knew what I did not want to do because there were some people I really liked too but in my estimation, I might be wrong, but they were getting it wrong, so I picked the good things and left what I thought they were doing wrong and God was good to me. What would you say stands you out from the crowd? They call it versatility. It’s my ability to

NEW TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

Body&Soul

going – Gbenga Adeyinka work with a small corporate crowd and the ability to work with a large concert crowd. I think one thing a comedian has to have is versatility. Better still, let me just break it down. I describe it as knowing what is apt. It’s not enough to be funny but also knowing what is ideal. If I am going for a corporate event, there are jokes I cannot tell there and the same thing goes for a large concert. It’s not every event you go to that you must tell a joke and that is what a lot of my younger colleagues don’t understand. It’s not all about jokes, but communicating with the audience and making sure they have a nice time. It’s about being interactive and that is what I tried at the beginning to learn. Having information about what you are going to do. If you are going to talk to doctors for instance, a doctor will be more relaxed when he knows that this guy knows some medical terminologies. So, through your jokes, they will say this one is not an illiterate but when you don’t know that, there will be a disconnect. So the ability to know something about everything is one of the things that helped me. As a graduate going into comedy, how did you cope with the pressure, particularly with the fact that your peers must have been in the banks and so on? When I started comedy, my family was very upset with me. In fact, they had a town hall meeting because of me. They were like,’ after sending him to the best schools, he says he wants to be Baba Sala…Olorun maje (God forbid)’. One, I had an understanding wife. Two, I was not ashamed to do anything. Then I was doing children party entertainment, I had clowns and mascots. I would paint my face and so on. I believe if I was in London or America, I would not be doing one job; it’s any job I see to make legitimate money that I would do, so why can’t I do it here? So then, I was doing clowning and still pushing being a Master of Ceremony. It got to a point that I knew I could not do that anymore; that this has sort of become more profitable. And my wife understood what it meant to build…it was rough. There were times all we would have to eat would be concoction. My wife did not eat Ponmo until she married me but we kept pushing. We have not gotten there yet, but if we look back, where we are now is different from where we were back then and that is what is still pushing me. Because if God could have taken you from there, it means he can take you further. It was not easy, there were days fuel would finish in my car and I would park it and walk home to look for money to buy fuel. If it was not rough, we won’t have a story to tell. It was rough, sometimes now it’s still rough but God has been good and you have to keep going. How easy was it for you to contain yourself when you made your first million? How easy? It was easy. Let me tell you the problem I have. No matter how rich I am, there is somebody richer than me in my family. No matter how successful I am, there are people in my family who have achieved so much. I am lucky to come from a family that is not poor but I believe everybody must work hard to achieve something for himself. So I feel fulfilled with what God has done for me. And one thing I have also realised in life is that empty barrels make a lot of noise. I think the more God does for you, the more sober you become. That is what I have observed with rich people I have met. I met somebody who is my role model; he came to my show with his children. That was when I first started and he said he liked my show. He was like it’s my birthday and I would like you to organise some comedians for me. That was the first time I saw one mil-

lion in my life. When I went to the man’s house, I wanted to die. The bottom line is, if people could be that rich and be humble why can’t I? So, any time I achieve something, it humbles me because I don’t see what makes me more special than every other person. Like I always tell people, I am probably one of the luckiest persons or luckiest comedians because it’s amazing how God continues to open doors. Can you recall some of the funny moments you have had? My best moment was when I held my son for the first time. That was when I realised I had become a man. I have had three other most embarrassing moments. The first one was back then when I was in the university. I was sleeping on the bed with my legs wide open. I didn’t know my trousers were torn and my ‘Mandela’ was free. My roommate’s girlfriend knocked and I was feeling too lazy to open the door so I shouted and told her to come in. She came in with two of her friends, all females. My roommate came in about five minutes later to tell me to ‘park’ well because my ‘Mandela’ was free in the open. The most recent was in the United Kingdom at the Nigerian Corner of the Nottinghill Carnival. One of the performers, a female, was dressed in such attire that left me bewildered. While pondering what convinced her to dress in such attire, a photographer caught my gaze and many people wondered if I was actually looking at something else. Professionally, I have been embarrassed as well. I had a concert for Star in Ejigbo, Lagos, and I drove to Ejigbo in Oyo State and started looking for the venue of the concert only to realise that the event was actually in Lagos! When will you join the rest of your colleagues in politics? I believe it’s not time yet for me, one must not just follow the crowd because that’s the fashionable thing to do. I surely will, God willing, but not now. If you were to serve Nigerians through politics, which capacity would you prefer to serve? I would love to be a law maker and rise through the ranks. How does it feel, being the first and only comedian to tour the 36 states of the federation and how were you able to create such record? I feel privileged and humbled. It could only have been God. I was able to do this largely with STAR and private gigs. Perhaps for staying with you in your low period, I understand you hold your wife in high esteem. How did you meet her? Well, I was working with my uncle at Sparklight Engineering. She was with Amsel finance. She was their company secretary and legal adviser. I was going for lunch and I saw her at the staircase. I liked her and was like ‘excuse me, are you married’? She said no and I said I want to marry you. She said, ha! and walked away. I kept following up and when two people are meant to be together, the rest is history. I have been blessed in life. I had nothing when I met my wife. When I say nothing, I mean nothing. I had no savings, I had nothing. In fact, I got married immediately after I left university, which was the year after youth service. She had just finished serving too and we got married with nothing. During the marriage preparation, my uncle gave me his Benz 200 to use for that period. So I knew I had to return the car when we got married. The money we were sprayed at the wedding was about one hundred and fifteen thousand Naira and when I told my wife about my intention to use the

money to buy a car, she said yes. When we bought the car, our account was zero. So I will be very stupid if I don’t value a woman like that. Then the question would be why don’t I take her everywhere? Why don’t they see her the way they see other comedians’ wives? From day one, I made up my mind that if I do show business, I’m going to be the one in show business. I want to take my family away from the bright light and all that because I have seen what that kind of life has done to families. I have seen how it has broken families and how the children have gone astray, thinking that they are more important than they are. And that is what I tell my children, that there is nothing that makes you different from the son of a mechanic. I am hustling, so you are a son of a hustler. People say why don’t you take your wife to shows and I ask why doesn’t she take me to court when she is going for cases? We have a relationship where we understand that out there is out there and at home is home. We are sane, there is sanity. And that is why I don’t do business at home. There are very few people that can say they know my house. I keep my family away from the madness. I might be wrong and those who do it, I am not saying they are wrong because that is their own belief, their way of showing love or their building their brand up but my own belief is different. How have you kept safe from ladies who may have been jostling for your attention? I’m looking at my big stomach. Men with big stomach are not attractive to ladies. Nobody likes me. ’Dey say monkey no fine, im mama like am. Na only my wife like me and I like am like that’. But honestly, I know what a broken home can do to children. I have experienced that and I will not allow my children experience it. That is one of the things that keeps me sane, keeps me grounded. Nobody is a saint but that is one of the things that keep me grounded. What dictates your fashion statement? I wear anything that makes me comfortable and anything that will not show my stomach. I hate it when my stomach protrudes and that is why I keep doing everything I can to make this stomach go down. I am not very wild with fashion, that is why you will not see me in red shirt and yellow trouser; that is why most times, I prefer to wear a suit because you can never go wrong with it. And when I started doing native, I do some-

thing simple with my logo on it. That is it for me. What comes to your mind each time you reminisce about what your wife went through with you? I thank God. Like I always tell people, if your home succeeds as a man, it’s not you, it’s your wife. If your home is destroyed as a man, it’s some of you and more of your wife. I just thank God for the kind of wife He gave me. If I don’t see my wife in two weeks, I know she’s either in church or her work or she’s praying for me. It’s very rare for a man to honestly say that. I know a lot of people say it, but I know my wife can never ever cheat on me. Never! I know. Which is the best form of relaxation for you? I love to watch movies, football and read. I also hang out a lot with close circle of friends. I play hard because I work very hard. Is Gbanga Adeyinka giving back to his society? Yes I am, but my belief is that whatever you do for people is between you and your God and not to be advertised cheaply. What’s the most challenging thing a Nigerian comedian faces either on regular basics or occasionally? Creating jokes, living up to expectation and being taken seriously. Kindly highlight, if there’s any, things the media, your fans or the general public have always misunderstood about your personality? I’m a very shy and private person but because of what I do, nobody will believe that.

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

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Juliet Bumah +234 81 1 675 9770

julietbumah@gmail.com

Patra’s dilemma 1 Juliet Bumah

ichie was home. He couldn’t remember how he got home. He had been drinking water since he got home but still felt dehydrated. KC’s words echoed in his mind again. “Those pregnancies were not yours, Richie. Seek second, third...fifth opinions my friend.” KC is a qualified and experienced doctor. His father was one of the best gynecologists around. He took charge of the hospital before his father died about four years ago and the hospital had remained the favourite of the deep pockets. “I’ll seek a second opinion,” he said aloud but failed to convince himself. He had always trusted KC’s judgement when it came to matters concerning his profession. So, Ruth is a lying bitch? Richie cursed the day he met Ruth in Nosa’s house in Jos. Innocent Ruth! He remembered that morning, about three years ago, when she called to say she was pregnant and needed money to get rid of it. “How I wish I sent her the money. How I wish I wasn’t due to visit Jos again that week. How I wish I didn’t see her and was enamoured by her innocent beauty. How I wish...how I wish...” He remembered his father’s favourite proverb. A mother does not relax after a dinner prepared with a particularly bony fish until she had swept out and disposed of the tiny bones in the morning. “I thought I was being smart. I asked her to keep the pregnancy since my wife hadn’t conceived. It was a proof of my virility, I thought. I rented an apartment for her and placed her on a monthly salary. She had Cherish and is pregnant again,” Richie mumbled. “If those pregnancies are not mine, then whose are they? Oh, to think that shy Ruth, who could barely look a man in the eyes, could be this calculative! Who could have been tilling the ground while I paid for the result of his pleasure? Is it that old uncle of hers with rheumy eyes or that young cousin of hers with too many needs? Oh my gawd!” He walked to the bar and poured himself some tots of premium spirit. He sat on the stool and thought of his wife, Patra. Beautiful, delectable Patra. She had been away for three nights now but communication between them had improved. She had been picking his calls. She said she would be back ‘soon’. He didn’t want to push his luck too far, so, he didn’t insist on ‘when’. He picked his phone and dialed her number, switched off. He sighed and looked around the sitting room. Feeling so lonely, he picked his glass and the cognac bottle and went into Patra’s room. “Lemme feel her presence.” He looked around the room and felt her warmth envelope him. Her laptop was on her dressing table. He switched it on, took it to the bed and laid down. They used a wifi in the house because he needed Internet for his business. Patra was bad with remembering her passwords so she never signed out of her accounts. When Richie clicked on the browser, her email, Facebook et al were on and running. Her mails were mostly work-related but her Facebook inbox was very interesting. He scanned through the messages until he got to a thread that made his heart thump. It was her chat with a man who, going by his profile, had royal blood. Their chat was interview-like. Royalty: “Why do you think our grandmothers never knew about the G-spot, orgasm?”. Patra: “Who said they did not experience the G-spot? Am sure some of them stumbled on it in the course of lovemaking. Now, I wouldn’t know if women who experienced real orgasm in those days were branded witches. Lol...” Richie’s palms were clammy. He rubbed them together. Could this be Patra? What exactly do I know about my wife? He felt cold and hot at the same time. He switched on the air conditioner. He settled down more comfortably on the bed and scrolled to the next question. His skin crawled... ******** Patra and Pius were at the Next Centre. Patra wanted to ‘look around’. That morning, Pius had checked her out of the former hotel and moved her to Sheraton where he said she ‘rightly belongs’. Their ‘welcome tryst’ in the Sheraton room was explosive. It was obvious they had developed strong feelings for each other. They had been together for three nights, four more

nights before she was due back in her office. They ran into an old lady who noted how well and happy Pius was and entreated Patra to ensure he remained happy. “Imelda must be happy now. We spoke yesterday. She had been praying that you would meet a good woman that would comfort you and take care of your children. You have good eyes and taste Junior. She’s just what you need. She’ll bear you strong sons...” She went on and on until Pius offered to walk her to her chauffeur-driven G-Class at the car park. “I’ll call Imelda tonight. So many things to talk about.” Those were her parting words after hugging Patra again. “Imelda is my mum. She will hear about you and more tonight,” Pius told Patra. “I thought as much,” she said as they walked towards Pius’ 2016 Range Rover SV Autobiography. He held the door open for her, planted a kiss on her lips and gently closed the passenger door. He then walked to the driver’s side, sat down, turned on the ignition and the aircondition purred. Soft music wafted from the speakers. Phil Collin’s song, ‘Find a way to my heart’, filled the space. He turned to her, held her hands and said, “My love, I can no longer pretend. I have fallen hopelessly in love with you. You can kill me if it is your wish. I’ll gladly die. Fate had been unkind to me. You brought joy into my life, it’ll go with you if you decide to leave me.” Patra looked into his eyes and saw sadness, pain, she also saw love, joy...and hope. She leaned towards him and embraced him. The music made her giddy. “Take me to the hotel,” she moaned. Hours later, Patra lay in Pius’ arms. He was snoring gently. She felt so good. Making out with him had been a great experience. He took her to hitherto unimaginable heights. She couldn’t imagine that a sheathed man could give her such pleasure. She reached for the pack of sheath on the bedside table and read the label. ‘Ribbed for best pleasure. Made with the best materials to give users natural feeling...the sensation is real and protection is absolute.’ Patra smiled. She really needed the protection...but not against pregnancy! It had become obvious that she had problems with conception. Why did the doctors tell her that her womb et al were in good condition? Richie’s secret family was a proof that he was fertile and she was responsible for their unfruitful marriage. Tears rolled down her cheeks. So Richie knew all this while that she was the problem? Hmmmmmm! He felt the best way to handle it was to build a family outside and pretend all was well inside? She made no attempt to clean the tears and they made a mark on the pillow. She was angry and sad at the same time. Pius shifted without opening his eyes. She moved out of his arms. She gazed at his strong body. His ribbed torso was so

tempting and she ran her fingers along, caressing his body, feeling the muscles. Her hand travelled down until it got to the man and hesitated briefly before feeling it lightly. She could feel its instant response. She watched, mesmerised as it tensed and then, like a snake enjoying a cool afternoon sun in the field, it raised its head slowly, getting more turgid. She didn’t realise she had been caressing it all the while. “Patra, this is adultery. You are living in sin.” It was her conscience scolding her. She withdrew her hand immediately and the man sprang up. It was then she felt Pius’ hand on her back. She had been so engrossed that she didn’t hear him moan. His hand on her body chased away her conscience. Her hand inched back to the erect man who was nodding invitingly at her. As she touched it gently, Pius moaned and grabbed her. He caressed every part of her body and got her so high that by the time he left her momentarily to sheath, she was shaking uncontrollably. As he lowered himself into her, they both moaned loudly. She had known that Pius was a very gentle horse and this time around, he made every nerve in her body tingle with pleasure. She responded the way she was dead sure she had never done in her life -with total abandon. For once, she opened her mouth and said all the silly things she had ever wanted to say and with her hands, she did all the naughty things she had ever wanted to do to a man’s body. He pulled out and she arched her body and took him back. He pulled out again and again and she took him back each time...then she felt it. It was as if she was cresting on a wave, it came again and again... Pius rode on gently...gathering momentum. Then the cloud gathered. He felt a million hands caressing his body at the same time. The hands lifted him and the cloud turned into a storm and as the thunder clapped, he screamed. Patra was screaming. They went into spasms and the cloud cleared. When they calmed down, they looked at each other, surprised. They both had never felt this kind of passion in their individual lives. “Patra, I’m sorry. I will never leave you. I feel so sad for your husband. But for once in my life, I’m going to be selfish. I will have you for keeps or die trying to do that,” Pius said in his heart. “This is a sin I’m sure I’ll commit again and again,” Patra mused, pushing him off her. Pius looked down and swore. “What is it,” Patra asked. ******* What could it be? Dear readers, it’s still the Patra series and I bet you don’t want to miss an edition as the story continues on Sunday. Let’s make it a date!

•Send your observations to: julietbumah@gmail.com

NEW TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

Fulani vampires: Nigeria on the road to Kigali p.24

The Sunday Interview

‘Buhari went to China with $1.5 trillion partnership deals’ p.25

Why Sen. Ali Sheriff, NWC can’t conduct PDP convention – Dr Adebo p.28-29

Politics Muhammad Bashir

hat Kogi State has become the political laboratory of Nigeria and indeed the whole world, going by the unimaginable political incidents in the past one year is not in doubt. The most recent is the vote of no confidence slammed on Governor Yahaya Bello by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Over 30 members of State Working Committee (SWC) of the APC led by the state Chairman, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo, unanimously passed the vote on Governor Yahaya Bello. This followed allegations that he is relegating the party to the background and appointing members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to run the state’s affairs. Reference has been made to the Chief Press Secretary of the Governor, Mr. Kingsley Famwo, who was said to have been hired by the immediate past PDP government in the state to do some hatchet media job for the party before the November 21, 2015 governorship election in the state. Although the PDP lost out in the election, but Famwo has dramatically won the heart of Governor Bello and so he is the new CPS to the governor. This further confirmed fears expressed over the appointment of a former PDP member who defected to APC before the election, Simon Atiba as Deputy Governor, But the governor‘s romance with the PDP supporters, did not come to many as a surprise owing to the fact that his roll before and during the gubernatorial election was said to be more favorable to the PDP. The state party executives were also aggrieved that the governor, since he took over the controversial baton has refused to adhere to the party’s policy programmes. However, there have been series of commendation and condemnation occasioned by the no confidence vote. Also, APC stakeholders from the Kogi Western Senatorial District endorsed the vote of no confidence by the state executives of the party, urging the national leadership to sanction the governor. The leaders, who were equally disenchanted with the administrative style of the governor in their communiqué, signed by the stakeholders’ secretary, Chief Dare Olatunde, regretted the funny way Governor Bello is running the affairs of the state without recourse to the party hierarchy. Giving more boost to the no confidence against the governor, was another allegation slammed on Bello by stakeholders across the state. The leaders in their communiqué signed by Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane, Senator Saliu Ohize and 81 other leaders accused governor of relegating the winning APC party in the state to an opposition party. “The anti-party activities of Alhaji Yahaya Bello before, during and after the November 2, 2015 gubernatorial election, which have currently turned a winning APC party to the position of an opposition party in the state, are worrisome. “We equally view with concern the leadership style of Governor Bello which has alienated the APC and propped up the members of the supposed opposition, the PDP in running the affairs of Kogi State. “It is based on the foregoing that we unanimously endorsed the action of the

Biyi Adegoroye Assistant Editor biyi.fire@yahoo.com © Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited

Disquiet over Bello’s continued romance with PDP

Bello

Kogi State APC executives in relation to their vote of no confidence passed on Governor Yahaya Bello,” the communiqué added. These developments have, however, generated stiff reaction by different groups, who held separate press conferences to support the governor, even in the seeming opposition from his (the governor’s) party men. A faction of the state APC executives, led by the Deputy Women Leader, Debora Ohiza, told journalists that the governor on several occasions had carried along the party in the state by giving financial support to it. She presented an official memo signed by the state Chairman, Ametuo to the governor requesting for financial assistance to offset two-year party office rents and salaries for secretariat staff. She said that governor made part payment of the requested sum. Similarly, a cross section of APC youths drawn from the three senatorial districts of Kogi State last week passed aconfidence votes on the governor, condemning the state party executives for embarrassing the governor. The APC youths, led by the state Youth Leader, Emmanuel Ayodele said they were not aware of a vote of no confidence in Bello by the APC executive council in the state. The APC youths accused certain individuals and interest groups within the rank

Wada

of the APC in the state of making public a dishonorable intent to subvert the APC government of Governor Bello in the state. They asserted that as the governor of the state, Bello remains the APC leader in the state, thereby distancing them from those “bent on destroying the state.” They vowed not to allow agents of confusion have their way. “The agents of confusion have sworn to put all manners of impediments in the path of the new administration in order to derail the new direction to peace, unity and progress in which the governor has started moving the state after many years of ruin by previous administrations. “In pursuit of their clandestine agenda, these unscrupulous persons have made spirited efforts to discredit the wonderful work our great party, through the purposeful leadership of Governor Bello in the state. “Some of them, under the aegis of a section of the APC membership in Kogi State have now written letters to the national leadership of our great party and other critical stakeholders in the APC, alleging imaginary infractions as well as perceived personal wrongs allegedly done them by his administration and within the APC in Kogi State,” Ayodele added. All the governor’s supporters have descended heavily on Hon. James Abiodun

Faleke, accusing him of master minding the lingering crises. But Faleke, through the Director Media, Audu/Faleke Political group, Mr. Duro Meseko, advised Governor Bello and his supporters to desist from using his name to score points. Meseko wondered why Bello’s supporters were still clueless in identifying their problems, but were always involving Faleke in the problems they created. “For the umpteenth time, I’m constrained to respond to the very hollow and ridiculous allegation by a negligible faction of ward and local government executives of the APC in Kogi State that Hon James Faleke was behind the vote of no confidence passed on Alhaji Bello by the state executives of the party. “Giving the current hunger ravaging our dear state, one is not surprised to see the upsurge of state sponsored groups falling over themselves to give fake and ludicrous endorsements to an inept and drowning administration that has thrown civility to the winds in all facets of governance,” he said. Meanwhile, a coalition under the flagship of APC Support Groups in the state, has called for caution in the lingering war between the state governor and the party stake holders. CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

politics Femi Fani-Kayode

n 1994, almost one million Tutsis were murdered in cold blood in the space of one month by members of the ruling Hutu tribe in Kigali, Rwanda. The genocide that took place in Rwanda at that time ranks as one, in the most sordid chapters of African history and it must never be allowed to happen anywhere again on our continent. Sadly we do not appear to have learnt the lessons of Kigali in our country probably because most Nigerians have no knowledge of history because it is not taught in our schools. That single failing and lack of understanding and knowledge may well lead to our final undoing as a nation because the parallels and signs of what led to the butchery and tragedy that occurred in Rwanda are slowly unfolding here today. The dark clouds of blood are gathering but sadly, most of our people cannot even see them. They seem wholly incapable of discerning the season and the times. This is my greatest concern. Our people are behaving like turkeys that are celebrating the approach of Christmas and rams that are rejoicing on the day before Sallah. That, in itself, is a tragedy of monumental proportions and the implications and consequences of our collective indifference, amnesia and naivety are calamitous and farreaching. The title of this essay owes an intellectual debt of gratitude to my friend and brother Chief Dele Momodu who happens to be one of the most engaging writers and columnists in Nigeria today. ‘Bobby Dee,’ as Dele is better known to his numerous fans and close friends, was a strong supporter of the June 12 struggle and something of a protégée of the late and great Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the June 12 presidential election in 1993. He wrote an essay at that time and during the heady and dangerous days of NADECO and General Sani Abacha, in which he used this title. It was a brilliant essay and the title has stuck with me ever since because it really captured the moment. I believe that we are back on the road to Kigali again in Nigeria and I pray that Dele will forgive me for using the same title as he did approximately 20 years ago. Now to the point. The number of Igbos slaughtered by Fulani militants in Enugu on April 25 2016 has gone up to 100. Many churches and homes have been burnt to the ground. When will President Muhammadu Buhari appreciate the fact that NON-FULANI LIVES MATTER? In reaction to this horrific situation, Mr. Babatunde O. Gbadamosi, a highly respected Lagos-based businessman, wrote the following on Facebook: “Scores slaughtered by #FulaniTerrorists in Enugu, but the Fulani President, Muhammadu Buhari, his Fulani senior security commanders and government functionaries are more interested in pipeline vandals that are killing no one! Nigerians, if you don’t arm yourselves and fight back, na una sabi. Those of you Yoruba APC zombies that think you are special, when they finish with the Middle Belt, the South-South and the South-East, you will be next, and there will be no one left to defend you. “I am referring to you, my Muslim uncles and aunties, who think the Fulanis will see you as kindred spirits and spare you. They will not. “Just as they are fake Muslims in the eyes of the Arabs, you are also fake Muslims in their eyes, only useful to help subjugate your people under their rule, then you will see pepper. Kill Afonjaism now, and stand for something, or your children will one day curse the day you were born.” Mr. Gbadamosi’s insight and understanding of the situation is second to none. His counsel is as priceless as it is timely. Let us hope that someone is listening. In his own contribution to the debate on Facebook, Mr. Lere Olayinka added the following:

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Fulani vampires: Nigeria on the road to Kigali

Buhari

“In this April alone, Buhari’s Fulani herdsmen killed almost 200 Nigerians, but Buhari’s headache is Niger Delta.” On his part, Mr. Charles Ogbu, an obviously intelligent and gifted young man, wrote the following on his Facebook wall: “The Fulani vampires are at it again. Today, Enugu, my state is their target. Dozens of people have been reportedly killed and hundreds displaced with buildings, including a catholic church, burnt. “This murderous group killed hundreds in #Agatu and occupied their land. The Fulani president did nothing. The Fulani-headed DSS did nothing. They went to Anioma in Delta State, abducted and killed their king. The Fulani president did nothing. The Fulani headed DSS did nothing. “They went to Awgu community in Enugu State, killed dozens and abducted dozens. The Fulani president did nothing. The Fulani headed DSS did nothing. Only the police and the army did something this time: they arrested 78 indigenes of Awgu, who are the victims and dumped them in prison and denied them bail on the allegation that they planned on attacking the Fulanis. Meanwhile, the perpetrators were allowed to roam free “It took a #hashtag campaign on social media for the #Awgu78 to be released. Today, these vultures are back again, visiting death and destruction on defenseless Uzo-uwani people of Enugu State for no just cause. “The President will not say anything about this. The DSS will not say anything. The police will describe it as a mere misunderstanding between farmers and herdsmen. They will hardly confirm that anyone was killed neither will they arrest or prosecute any of those invading Fulani vultures. “The governor of Enugu State called Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi will neither say nor do anything about this. Father Mbaka ...the one who swore that Buhari is the Lord’s anointed... will not talk. “Basically, the citizens are left with no choice

than to defend themselves by any means necessary. “You either die fighting to defend your honour, your family, your land and your dignity as a human person or you die cowering in fear like some coward. Either way, you stand little chance. “Permit me to point out one fact here: “The Fulanis are not invincible (undefeatable) because they posses some kind of special fighting prowess. No! Not at all. “These Fulanis are invincible because they are enjoying government support/cover/protection in their murderous activities. The impunity with which these guys operate is state-sponsored. “This is a fact, not just my opinion. Deep down, you know it. I know it. “President Buhari has a constitutional duty to protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians. He swore to do this. He is being paid to do this. “He has deliberately chosen not to do this. He has chosen to place the interest of his Fulani brethren above the lives of innocent Nigerians. “Buhari believes that his Fulani people are superior to other Nigerians. This is no different from the mindset displayed by Hitler which led to the world war. We know how it ended. “The silence of President Buhari over the murderous activities of his Fulani brethren is a moral tragedy! This is the height of man’s inhumanity to man! “Believe it or not, it will come to a time that Nigerians will rise up in their numbers and confront the Fulani beasts together with their sponsors. There is a limit to what a man can take. “Let it be on record that Buhari is the one setting this country on the road once travelled by Rwandans in 1994.” #GrazingBillMustDie #SayNoToFulaniOccupation On her own part, again on Facebook, Miss. Santos Ugwuada Ezirigwe wrote: “Before now, the Fulani herdsmen were

generally a group of cattle herding nomads plying their trade with every sense of innocence. Then his dagger and sword was primarily for personal use and self-defence in the wilds. However, this narrative has changed since the recent past, especially after the election of President Buhari in 2015. The Fulani herdsmen have become purveyors of violence, rape, kidnap, robbery, arson and murder. They are professional and coordinated in their terrorist activities, an indication that it is an organic group with possibilities of hierarchical command structure. Little wonder they have metamorphosed into the fourth most vicious terrorist group in the world. Terrorism is the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear. And this has become the hallmark of Fulani herdsmen. Some allege that they have the backing of top Fulani officials in government and security apparatus. Others allege that they are offshoots of Boko Haram terrorists while some others allege that they were assembled by some elements in the North, trained and stationed to attack Nigerians in the South in the event that GEJ wins the 2015 elections. GEJ conceded the defeat to their greatest surprise but the trained Fulani terrorists were never debriefed and disarmed, hence the surge in their terror acts since PMB took office as President. Whatever be the case, one common denominator in these narratives is “the mission to terrorize”. We seem to be at war in Nigeria, though undeclared. Otherwise, why are there as many deaths from weapons of warfare? Unfortunately, there are no signs of abatement. And the victims of this undeclared war have no one to run to for safety and no hope of salvage. Rather than create assuring facts that will contradict the Biafra narrative, President Buhari has more than anyone else, through his continued silence to the activities of his murderous brothers, among his other body language of contempt and abhorrence of the Igbo, helped in creating Biafra. His continued silence remains suspect. Such an attitude from a supposed national leader sends the wrong signal to both the vanquished and the valorous. To the vanquished victim, the leader cares less about his plight and predicament. This as a consequence diminishes his confidence in such a leadership. To the valorous, the leader “understands.” And this as a consequence emboldens him to up the ante of terror against the vanquished. It is this loss of confidence that has led many to advance self-help as an immediate and strategic response to the activities of the murderous terrorist Fulani herdsmen. These indeed are ominous and grave in consequence. The Nigeria state apparatus has failed in her primary responsibility to protect life and property of the victims of the terrorist Fulani herdsmen. The Federal Government, under President Buhari’s watch, has done very little to inspire confidence and assure security of life and property in the face of the prevailing harvest of kidnaps, rape, armed robbery, violent attacks, arson and genocidal war by his brothers against indigenous peoples of Nigeria. Agatu and the rest were the victims of the terrorist Fulani herdsmen yesterday; it is Nimbo, Uzo Uwani that is the victim today. CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

politics

‘Buhari went to China with $1.5 trillion partnership deals’ What is your overall view of the President’s trip to China? The trip to China was a landmark initiative that would have a lasting impact. Just like the Western world is going East, Nigeria has also made the right decision to go East. Our engagement with China is a partnership relationship born out of the mutual needs of the two nations to advance their developmental efforts. Granted that there is a wide trade imbalance between Nigeria and China; if this effort however is diligently pursued, Nigeria will in the long run narrow down the trade gap with China.

A member of President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent delegation to China, Dr. Philip Njemanze reveals that the trip was not about borrowing but largely about trade partnership. Njemanze, a researcher and advanced neuroscientist say that Nigeria brought to the table ground breaking innovations that could revolutionize the economy of any nation if put to good use, in this interview with STEVE UZOECHI larly, I have no doubt that Nigeria has the best crop of scientists in the world though some of them do not even recognize it. These innovations however are not documented, catalogued or patented and as such do not constitute intellectual properties. So we had advanced the idea that Nigeria needs innovation centres across the country. What could be called Nigeria Innovation Centres (NICs) which would create a means for inventors to work with industry and investors to bring product ideas to the market place, locally and globally. By implication, the NICs will have offices that translate innovative ideas to product prototype and utility patent which becomes an intellectual property of the innovator. This can then be taken to investors for large scale manufacturing proper. Going the way of producing thing locally and originally is because we understand that sustainable development is development built on original ideas. With this, we have a guarantee of sustainable growth bringing the African perspective to Science and Technology. It is absolutely safe to say we can innovate our country out of poverty and underdevelopment.

What do you think about the approach and perception of Mr. President to the fine details of the trade partnership? I am indeed impressed by the performance of Mr. President. He was forthright in challenging Nigerians and particularly, the delegations to think outside the box. He was particularly pained by the margin of Nigeria’s trade imbalance with China. We import so much more from China than we export. He committed to work with genuine Nigerian entrepreneurs in every field of endeavour to equilibrate the imbalance. When he was saying this, he was actually hinting at Nigeria’s engineered scientific innovations which would offer China new products and services. It is a new day for Nigerian when innovations and scientific ideas are not politicized. Mr. President is using very common sense ideas to create what would become monumental changes. Now that a new trade frontier has been opened, what is the implication for Nigerians? That is actually the question that should be posed to every Nigerian entrepreneur now. As part of the scientific component of the delegations, I will urge scientists in Nigeria to rise to the occasion and show the world that Nigeria indeed has very advanced scientific innovations which are far ahead what is currently obtainable around the globe. How competitive are Nigerian scientific innovations in the global stage? First of all, I will like to explain that science is the thought and idea while technology is the application of the innovative ideas towards creating products and services for the market place. And as for the scientific ideas, I can boldly tell you that Nigerian scientists are leading the world in many areas of science but are limited by infrastructures. In my facility at Chidicon Medical and Diagnostic Centre, International Institute of Advanced Research and Training, Owerri, the core of our business is innovation. We are Africa’s leading innovators in the area of science in the sense that we have the highest number of patents in medicine and IT-based research. We have the most advanced neuroscience innovations in the world today. I happen to know from those in the field of Nuclear Physics that Nigeria also has the most advanced innovations in the world today in that area of science. The problem we face is translating these scientific ideas to technology and this is because we do not have the technological infrastructure to do that. Also, I was one of the principal investigators of National Aeronautic Space Administration (NASA) of the United States’ Neurolab project to study the brain in space between 1999 and the year 2000. Since that time our laboratories in Nigeria has led studies to unfold how the brain works in space. We are consequently the first in the world in many areas of brain related research in space.

Njemanze The trip to China therefore opens the door to bring China in also as a technological partner. We place on the table scientific ideas China does not have and in turn, China offers up, the technology we need to create marketable products and services. As a matter of fact, we went to China with more than a dozen patented scientific inventions covering over 500 potential product lines with a cumulative market impact of more than $1.5 trillion through a period 10 years. Was space research part of the discussion with China? Not in details but here is the potential derivable benefit of that trip in the area of space research. Starting from 2020, China would have a space station just at the time the International Space Station will be decommissioned. We are looking forward to a NigeriaChina space programme which will allow scientists from both countries to carry out collaborative research, bringing their unique expertise together. How do all these translate to economic gains for Nigeria as a nation? If we should harness the scientific inventions we already have, we would have over ten-fold increase in trade with China, thus wiping out the existing trade deficit with China. And I urge the Federal Government to effectively play the pivotal role of facilitator in the process. Take for instance; we are the leading innovators in medical science in Africa today. We have several spin-offs of our innovations in other industries largely, the IT industry. We could create a whole Technol-

ogy Village or IT Park here in Owerri, Imo State and the software industry that could emanate from our relationship with China could be worth over $100billion triggering development in Imo State. Tell us a few of the scientific innovations you showcased in China? I will just mention two for now. We have the revolutionary Chidicon iDAS system, a new operating system software for computers based on an innovation that links the human brain to the computer neural network system at the workplace. This innovation gives the computer operating system some intelligence to know its user to the extent of being able to determine the state of mind of the computer user and going forward to recommend adaptable solutions to the task the user has at hand. This is the future of the computer industry and it will on its merit, compel industry players to be iDAS compliant. Secondly, we are first in the world to invent what could be truly called an IT-based mobile hospital system that allows a doctor to carry out diagnosis and full treatment through the mobile device of a patient who is more than 1000 miles away. Not even the United State has this technology. However, here at Chidicon, we are insistent on owning the technology, building and making it available to Nigerians and exporting it to the world. Earlier you mentioned Innovation Centres, how do you mean? Nigerians are the most innovative people on earth, we innovate in every field. Particu-

In your own estimate, what can Nigeria practically achieve through NICs? Frankly, we could grow over 150,000 businesses through this way in a year. If this figure is multiplied by 10, we are talking about over a million jobs in a space of 10 years. This is why we think NICs is a great idea. We had earlier submitted proposals for NICs to the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Minister feels very strongly about it and is studying it to know how to integrate it into the work plan of the FG and make it a realizable federal government policy. What is the way forward now? Well, having come this far, I think we should continue to urge the Federal Government through the Ministry of Science & Technology and the Ministry of Trade and Investment to remain steadfast in the facilitation of the overall framework for building a peer-to-peer relationship between Nigeria and China towards the development of these technologies. This is a matter of priority because if our IT intellectual property right is effectively put to work, about 25,000 high technology jobs will be created. As a member of the International IT Park Development in the Russian Federation known as the ‘Skolkova Foundation’, I have seen how the Russians are putting the scientific ideas of Russian scientists to work for the Russian economy and create jobs. They are gradually coming at par with Silicon Valley in the United States. This we can also do in Nigeria. I will therefore urge Nigerians to understand and support this brand new effort at giving impetus to home-grown scientific innovations through strategic partnerships and leading Nigeria out of the quagmire where the Nigeria person and his innovations has been abandoned. I am positive that after five years of a concerted idea-driven society, we can afford to seal up all our oil well and still live better than we were living before because ideas matter

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It’s pathetic Bayelsa LG staff are owed one year salary – TUC boss Local Government workers in Bayelsa State are being owed, some seven, 10 to 12 months salaries. What have you done about this? The issue of local government staff’s salary is very pathetic. We made a strong demand on government to ensure that now that it has received its bailout funds, it should not hesitate to pay these accumulated salaries. They should see how they can pay according to the amount that is available and a committee should be set up to monitor how this money is being used to pay the workers to ensure transparency and trust between the employer and the employee in the state. How far has the state government gone with its current verification exercise? It has been over one month since that they started, and how involved are the local governments? You are all aware that government set up the verification exercise for the local governments and other tiers. The system we run here a times is very challenging. We were told that there were some fresh employments that were included on the pay roll in each of these local governments and to ascertain the correct names on the voucher. The government believes that they should go back to 2011 or 2012 when they came on board to ascertain the actual staff strength. Only then they can make payments to those genuine workers. I think we saw reasons in that because it will stop these intrigues whereby people bring in either relations or close associates into the local government service through the back door. Are they through with the verification now? It was part of one of the communiqué that we released to government that they should specify when all these committees would round up. No committee should work till eternity. That is not fair enough. They should give them a deadline that all committees should submit their reports at so time. I think it will be a good framework for all to work with so that we can know that all these committees, especially the ones C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 4

Tomorrow will certainly produce more victims unless urgent steps are taken to nip this unfortunate trend. In devising measures to counter these marauding blood thirsty terrorists masquerading as herdsmen, we must look beyond Nimbo, Uzo Uwani. We must fashion a regional strategy that will require the collaboration of the leaders and the peoples of the areas under siege. Efforts should be activated to mobilize through churches, traditional rulers, market and town unions and associations, etc, to sensitise people about the need to be vigilant. “Nkwucha aburo ujo” (caution is not cowardice). We need to convene a regional assembly to articulate defensive and offensive measures to be taken to reduce our vulnerability to, and deter the terrorist acts of these terrorist Fulani herdsmen. We should also organise protest rallies across the region to renounce the activities of the terrorist Fulani herdsmen and attract global attention to our predicament lest we be fraudulently labeled as terrorists by the sponsors of the terrorist Fulani herdsmen if we take to self-help before putting the world on notice.

Comrade Tari Duonana is the Chairman of Trade Congress in Bayelsa State. In this interview with PAULINE ONYIBE, he talks about the growing salary arrears owed local government staff and dwindling resources accruing to the state is yours as a leader. What the people will say about you as a leader good or bad, is your choice. The government has agreed to pay another one month. When is that one coming? We also call on the government for the fact that the Federal Government is borrowing huge sum of money to pay salaries from media reports, we want the state government to ensure that these salaries are paid. If need be, they should borrow to pay salaries. This is more of a public service state. Once salaries are not paid, you can see the apprehension, the hunger that people face. So based on that we call on them, if need be to borrow they should borrow to pay salaries for this period. It is a storm and I believe there is no storm that lasts forever. We will cruise over this storm.

Duonana

handling local government verification can wind up. They are about submitting their reports. They have concluded their verification, so we are looking towards that. It has been equally alleged that medical staff have not been paid for five months no. How true is it? We are not aware except that of the local government but if it is for state I’m not sure that statement is correct. Staff of the Ministry of Health and Hospital Management Board were part of those that received their

salaries last January. It is actually very painful. The situation we are passing through, without any pretenses, is very painful, but we call on them to have confidence on their leaders. We will always articulate their views together for the good of all. We will not leave them behind. We are all together. We believe that collectively we will make a difference and make our voice loud and clear. We believe leadership is about the legacies you leave for born and unborn generations. The choice

When the next allocation comes, what happens if there is a short fall? Will these civil servants be left like that? That is the more reason why we are saying that the government should borrow to add to it to pay. We also want believe they should do more of the talking for people to know the realties on board. From time to time they should tell people of what they receiving what are left over because most people are ignorant of this indices we are talking here and we should not be the ones as labour leaders to say these things before our people. It does not sound well. We expect our employers to be saying that to be able from time to convince the people that this is what we have. What is the reality? What can we do to ensure that salaries are paid? The building of a better state requires efforts of all and sundry irrespective of wherever they find themselves. We must all contribute our parts.

Fulani vampires: Nigeria on the road to Kigali MASSOB and other local vigilante groups should be mobilised to counter the terrorist herdsmen in view of the suspicious disposition of the conventional security apparatus of the federal government. Governors of South-East states and governors of other states (Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Plateau) so far affected by the activities of these terrorist herdsmen should mobilise and send a strong warning to the Presidency that, never again shall they sit hopelessly and watch as the lives and property of their subjects are destroyed by the terrorist Fulani herdsmen. These are short term measures for restoration of sanity. The solution to this security challenge if we must continue to stay together as a united Nigeria, is to restructure our federation and allow the establishment of state police with full powers to maintain law and order within the states”. These are powerful words and insights from these young contributors. As they say there is fire on the mountain and many are concerned. When one considers all the facts one can only come to one conclusion: this is Yugoslavia downloading. This is the road to Kigali.

This is Rwanda unfolding before our very eyes. A few months ago I wrote a widely published essay about the atrocities of the Fulani militants titled ‘The Herdsmen From Hell’. In that write-up I referred to the murderous militants as “vampires, cockroaches and tsetse flies”. In addition to that last week I wrote another essay titled “The National Grazing Reserve Bill: The Greatest Evil of All”. In that contribution I pointed out the grave dangers posed by the diabolical activities of the Fulani militants and the longterm expansionist agenda of their backers and sponsors. One week before then I wrote yet another article on the same topic titled “The Murder of The Fulani: Yugoslavia Unfolding” in which I stated clearly that Nigeria was toying with a massive conflagration in the not too distant future if the Buhari government did not find the will and cultivate the courage to stop the activities of the Fulani militants and if they refused to stop supporting them. In return for these contributions I received the usual insults from shortsighted Nigerians

who have always believed that the best way to contain evil is to tolerate it, bow before it, accept it and welcome it with open arms. It appears that I have now been vindicated and my concerns have proved to be legitimate. The very same people that condemned me and called me “’a Fulani-hating racist”, “a purveyor of hate speech”, “a hater of Muslims” and “a loud-mouthed and paranoid alarmist” just a few months ago are now saying that I was right. Yet sadly it is too late. The vampires are now in control and they have tasted blood. The Nigerian Janjaweed are on a roll and they are determined to conquer new lands for the Caliphate. Worse still they have the covert backing and unofficial endorsement of the state. They will not stop now and neither will they retreat. Yet they are in for a shocker. Unless there is divine intervention, what lies ahead for this country is conflict, terror, bloodshed, war and ultimately a very messy and violent division. It saddens me to say so but that is the bitter truth. That is what “Chanji” has brought upon us.

NEW TELEGRAPH SUNDAY 1 MAY 2016

politics

Buhari must resist foreign pressure Villa Notes emmyanule@yahoo.com

Anule Emmanuel

igeria obviously is going through hard times economically. Dwindling crude oil revenue and the continued fall in the value of the nation’s currency against the United States’ dollar no doubt have in the last couple of months brought untold hardship to the vast population of citizens. As it appears now, most Nigerians seem to be losing confidence daily with the present administration’s change initiative touted to having the capacity for speedy turnaround of the economy. Worrisome in particular is the inability of the Federal Government first quarter running out to put in place an implementable budget for the 2016 fiscal year. Everyone is disturbed, from President Muhammadu Buhari himself to governors of the 36 states of the federation who are closer to ordinary Nigerians at the grassroots. While the presidency in collaboration with the states is seeking for alternatives to the current economic crisis, including a strong option of diversification from heavy dependency on oil, there is unfortunately pressure on government especially from outside of the country for the introduction of some austerity measures.

From the

Red Chamber dateangelo@yahoo.com

Onwuka Nzeshi

n the last two weeks the Red Chamber operated on a sober mode as it opened with the resumed trial of its President, Senator Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Saraki is facing multiple charges of alleged false asset declaration and money laundering. No doubt, this trial is a distraction that many parliamentarians wished never came but which has become a reality. The first day of the trial was virtually a free day as the parliament was not in session. However, on the subsequent days, Saraki had to cope with his duties as a presiding officer and as an accused in the witness box. It was not funny. You could feel the tension and apprehension in the air. You could see the plastic smiles on the faces of those accompanying him to have his days in court. Unconsciously, you could see them looking back at intervals; just to be sure they were not alone. However, the crowd of supporters appears to be thinning out by the day. Apart from the coincidence of the tribunal’s sitting conflicting with the sitting hours of the parliament, it appears that the faith of the disciples in their master and messiah is waning. You don’t need to be told that these are unusual times. Nothing is certain and no one is too sure of the next moment. Unending thirst for luxury Juxtapose that scenario with the report that the upper chamber had purchased 108 Land Cruiser Jeeps for its members. One would have thought that with the situation on ground, our distin-

The desire of a few foreign donour agencies is to see the Federal Government drastically cut down on spending and sharply increasing taxes to boost Internally Generated Revenue. Another advice coming from the outside is the devaluation of the naira. Interestingly, officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have since met with President Muhammadu Buhari, expressing their readiness to support the country in reviving the economy. These two organisations including the United States of America unfortunately are among those mounting pressure on government to devalue the naira. When the IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde met President Buhari in January, her position remained that devaluation of the nation’s current was a tactic that has helped other African nations cope with economic stress. One of the strong arguments put forward in support of naira devaluation is that there will be an improvement in dollar supply through foreign portfolio inves-

tors that could reduce existing pressure on the local currency. In November 2014, the Central Bank of Nigeria moved the midpoint of the official window of the foreign exchange market from N155 to N168 to the dollar, meaning that the naira exchanged for between N168 to N174 to the dollar officially. Fresh call for further devaluation simply means that the IMF and foreign investors want more. But President Buhari’s stance which is gradually becoming popular is that the interest of Nigeria and her people first but not about how much investors can bring into the country. Like American leaders would always put America and its people first, the hardship that Nigerians will experience from any stiff economic policy is definitely of concern. For President Buhari, it is a matter of experience. He was faced with a similar situation during his days as military head of state to adopt an IMF proposal but resisted it as well. As far as President Buhari is concerned, he is yet to be convinced that majority of ordinary Nigerians derived any tangible benefit from devaluation of the naira in the past.

The agricultural sector alone has the potential of attracting not less than $40billion worth of earning for the country annually

What is certain is that both the IMF, World Bank and other international donor agencies can’t say that they love Nigeria more than its people do. There is of course a covert interest in these who proposal which is to obviously support the business interest of their members. A few experts believe that any such policy that would rather add unnecessary pressure and drain on the nation’s foreign reserve as the proposed currency devaluation can only be disastrous to the economy. If these organisation so mean well for the country, they should instead develop and devise workable policies as advisory for reducing the level of the Nigeria’s dependence on imported goods. Nigeria presently needs to encourage local manufacture of goods and strive to boost export as well. The agricultural sector alone has the potential of attracting not less than $40billion worth of earning for the country annually. This is why President Buhari and his team should resist the temptation of falling prey to the dictates of foreign powers while looking inward for solutions to our problems. Besides, now that the state governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum have agreed to partner the Federal Government towards evolving short term, medium and long term solutions to the nation’s economic challenges, it is only proper for government to jettison any foreign pressure to introduce austerity measures that will further worsen the living conditions of Nigerians.

Lawmakers’ fleet of troubles guished parliamentarians would make do with their existing convoys. But this is Nigeria where the political elite lives in a different planet far removed from the realities on earth. A good number of those currently sitting in the red chambers have been there for at least two sessions and had benefitted from this phenomenonal ritual of purchasing cars for committees at the commencement of every parliamentary session. Some others have joined the upper chamber from the lower chamber where they equally benefitted from this same largesse. Yet there is the other special batch who came to the Senate after serving as state governors or ministers during which they also had opportunities to own fleet of cars at the expense of the public resources. A visit to their posh country homes would be as good as a tour of a modest showroom of an automobile marketing firm. In these austere times, our parliamentarians seem not to have gotten the message. They have admitted placing orders for 108 pieces of the latest model of Toyota Land Cruiser VXR V8 with a showroom price of about N31 Million. When you add ten percent tax, the price jumps to N36.5 million. They say we

should not have cried out because they have taken delivery of only 36 pieces of the exotic fleet. The rest are on the way. They still do not understand that with the crash in the price of oil and dwindling revenues trickling in to the Federation Account, wisdom demands that every Nigerian tightens his or her belt. They say they must buy new cars every four years because the President, Ministers; Governors, Commissioners and members of the State Houses of Assembly are doing same. They have even cascaded the argument down to a ridiculous level. They say that if local government chairmen and councilors could be entitled to new cars, how much more they, the Lords of the Manor? Our senators wonder why public attention is not focused on these other people but on them always. They seem to have forgotten that they were not elected in to the red chamber to compete with these other people on profligacy. They often acknowledge that there is no democracy without the parliament but they seem to forget that their presence in the democratic -mix is for the purpose of guiding democracy on the right path. They mouth the principle of checks and balances but forget that Baron de Montesquieu, the French jurists who propounded it was not talking about equating the spoils of office for all arms

A visit to their posh country homes would be as good as a tour of a modest showroom of an automobile marketing firm

of government. They like been referred to as “distinguished” but they have refused to be different from the crowd. This penchant by public officials to increase their fleet of vehicles at exorbitant costs every four years is the mentality of the Gowon era when Nigeria’s problem was really not money but how to spend it. That era ended in 1976 and we are in 2016, a distance of four decades. We should be thinking differently by now. If our senators did not know, they should know it now that this democracy rests on their shoulders. The society expects them to give the rest of the political class a good sense of direction. If they are convinced that the executive arm of government has gone astray by funding fleets of cars for the ministers, they need not go astray too. They should rather explore every legal and constitutional avenue to bring back the lost sheep. They cannot check the excesses of the other arms of government by indulging in the same excesses. This negative practice would have stopped long ago if our dear senators had embraced the principles enshrined in the Monetisation Policy of 2003. If the monetisation policy had been allowed to take root in our democracy, public officials will simply receive their transportation allowances en bloc and decide individually what to do with it. As it is today, parliamentarians receive their jumbo allowances as stipulated in the monetisation policy and turn around to use their “good offices” to give themselves additional luxury at the expense of our commonwealth. This is unfair, unwarranted and an indication that our political elite is yet to be weaned of its prodigal traits.

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

The Sunday

Why Sen. Ali Sheriff, PDP conventio Dr Ayodele Fijabi Adebo, a political economist was Deputy National Secretary of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the Second Republic and later a national officer of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) during the aborted Third Republic. Adebo is currently a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in this interview with ONWUKA NZESHI, he explains why he is leading a group of party stalwarts opposed to the continued stay in office of the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff and the entire National Working Committee (NWC) of the party

The PDP is preparing to hold its national convention this month. Are you one of those demanding to have the seat of the National Chairman zoned to the South-West? I am not part of any group agitating for positions. I don’t understand what people are agitating about. It’s just like some hunters who have not yet bought their rifles to go into the forest to hunt, yet talking about which type of animal they were going to share. I am a very pragmatic man. I don’t understand why anybody or any group should even clamour to take their mandate from illegality. The NWC that is proposing a convention does not exist in law. Nobody is thinking about that aspect. It is as bad as saying that you are applying to an unregistered university for admission. What are we talking about? The legality of the convener of the convention and congresses is very basic before you talk about positions. The agitation for positions in the party is the fundamental right of any zone. But if I may ask, this agitation for positions, is it about service delivery to be able to sustain the political party or is it just like saying, it is our turn? Today, South-West is the least contributor to the PDP when it comes to the numerical strength of the party. We have only two states, Ekiti and Ondo and even Ondo was by magic. Somebody left Labour Party and moved into PDP with his followers. That is not normal. Is it not what you politicians call defection? Yes, it’s happening because the politics we play is politics of magic. (Laughs) The man who moved from Labour Party to PDP might as well tell you tomorrow that he is moving to APC. In politics you don’t bank on such an unreliable factor. Ekiti State is a reliable factor; we won it whether people agree or not. Apart from Ekiti, we don’t have anything else. Our percentage of votes in Lagos was very encouraging. We would have won Lagos had it not been for internal wrangling. People don’t even look at that possibility. Sincerely, if not for the problem of imposition of candidates, we would have won Ogun State. If not because of

internal wrangling, we would have won Oyo State. In fact we would have won about four states in the South-West and if that had happened, we would have been in a position of strength to talk but the fact is that we didn’t win. Now to say that we want to produce the National Chairman of the party is alright, after all Chief Adisa Akinloye was the National Chairman of the NPN in the Second Republic and I was Assistant National Secretary of the same party. We contributed our little quota but our impact in the South-West was not comparable with that of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) at that time. But PDP is in a drastically difficult situation now. Anybody who wants to aspire for one position or the other should take into cognisance the circumstance the party has found itself. It must not just be for personal interests. As a political scientist, I will look at the factors prevalent to see what we can do. It is not about sentiments. We lost to APC because of the northern factor. We lost from the time Goodluck Jonathan’s wife and all the other people were abusing the northern leaders who were co-founders of the party with some of us. Today, we have not even addressed those issues. The Sen. Ike Ekweremadu Committee proposed a zoning formula which is very good. It also suggested some palliatives like reconciliation which has not even been implemented at all. Apart from zoning the Presidency to the North, the rest of the recommendations are still disputable. People are very aggrieved. We have some party leaders in the North who have been insulted by some members of our party who made the aspiration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan as a matter of birthright. We have people who purchased forms to contest different positions but were never given a fair chance to contest the elections. I purchased form for the Senate, I was screened, I was found worthy but the primary election was not even allowed to take place and some people were imposed on us by the powers that be. There were hundreds like that. We have people who even contested the primaries and were later denied the tickets. All these

people have their own followers. We have not even talked to all these aggrieved persons. On the other hand, the APC made sure they refunded the money for the forms to those people who bought forms and were not allowed to contest. They even told those they gave the platform to reconcile with those who were denied the opportunity and compensate them. Our party did not do that. We were behaving like arrogant demons and it was just because of the type of leadership we have. The officers of the party are supposed to be servants of the people, members of the party. But in our own case, they became like drunken drivers and when we crashed into the dungeon, instead of being ashamed of ourselves, we insisted on remaining on the driver’s seat. In decent societies, they would have had their licenses withdrawn; they would have resigned but they still insisted that they would drive the vehicle that they have crashed and they are taking it again to the main road. That is madness! Now the party is in a critical situation. What we need is an auto - analysis of what caused the crash. We know it. Everybody knows it but we have not done anything to repair the damage and some of us want to go straight to congresses and convention. Is that a priority? You have somebody in coma on a hospital bed and then because he was supposed to have got married yesterday, you then bundle him to the church to come and say yes or no. That’s stupidity. It is not done in politics but because those leading us are not politicians; they are traders, they are merchants. I call them....... They are wolves. They are just like vultures. As far as they are concerned, those who want to die could die as long as they can do what they like and make all the money. We are not surprised about revelations we are getting about people who embezzled money because the type of characters we have are people like that. We should be ashamed of it but instead of moving to another party, I don’t believe in that, we should stay and repair the damage. This is why we are challenging legally those issues. Are you in court? Yes. We are in court to legally challenge those issues with a view to getting a declaration or to get an interpretation on whether these people who are there now, who have hijacked the party are entitled to be there and doing what they are doing today. If the court says no, in that case everything they have prepared now, even if it is a day to the convention will be null and void. We intend to pursue it to a logical end. What exactly do you have against your party’s leadership especially your National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff? If you look at the legality of issues, Sheriff shouldn’t have been an issue. Sheriff is from the North-East and if he is chosen by his people to replace former chairman, Adamu Muazu, all well and fair. But the tenure of Muazu elapsed on

Adebo

the March 24, 2016. On that date, the National Working Committee of the PDP as it were, ceased to exist. The abracadabra performed allegedly that the National Executive Committee (NEC) which is just an elongation of the National Work-

NEW TELEGRAPH SUNDAY 1 MAY 2016

y Interview

, NWC can’t conduct on – Dr. Adebo headed by Ali Modu Sheriff does not exist in law. It is an illegality. The so-called extension granted them by NEC is absolutely rubbish and unknown in law. A special convention was held to nominate Goodluck Jonathan as our presidential candidate before the last election. If a Special Convention had been held in respect of the NWC, it would have been a different ball game. Why did your party fail to hold your Convention when it was legally due on March 24, 2016? They were not having any plans for a convention. In actual fact, the plans for the convention are now being hurriedly put together because of pressure. They were there to perpetuate themselves. If they could, they would have even told the NEC to postpone it till 2020. If you see a lot of things we have seen there, you will marvel. People creating a lot of fictitious accounts to siphon party funds to other areas. A lot of terrible things are happening there. The ones you are hearing now from the EFCC is very little compared to what we have in our party. The money we paid to become candidates of the party in the last general election was not utilised by the party for the election. It was misappropriated by members of the NWC. They were taken to their private accounts. They created Umbrella Trust Limited, a private company with their names and moved our funds there. It is a terrible armed robbery. When was this done? It was done just before and after we lost the election. We have money stuck inside Skye Bank, from which N500 million was stolen. We had about N1.83 billion there. The money moved there initially was over N2 billion but N500 million was stolen. You know, a lot of things are yet to be revealed. All the members of the NWC are involved in the stealing there. I mean, for God’s sake, that was even before Ali Modu Sherriff came to the scene. What I am telling you is even worse than the arms money that some people are being tried by the EFCC today. So that is why they are trying to cover up; they want to perpetuate themselves in office so that nobody will open the can of worms. But of course, it’s late; we’re going to open it.

ing Committee to keep these officers in office beyond that date is unknown to law. They have no right; they have no locus to extend the tenure of the NWC that ended on March 24, 2016. The only organ that could do that is the Convention because the NWC, NEC and BOT are all organs of the party created by the Convention. So the NWC today

What has been the outcome of the case you filed? The case is at the Federal High Court and the issue is the legality of the NWC whose tenure elapsed since March 24, 2016. On that date, all the state and national officers of the party were supposed to have vacated their offices. As of today, all the officers there are there illegally and they are the ones preparing to hold the next convention. My argument is that any convention organised by them would also amount to an illegality. We are saying that they should vacate those seats and allow the BOT to run the party. The BoT are like the owners, conscience and custodians of the party. According to the party’s constitution,

they can even order the removal of any officer if they find him or her morally deficient. In fact those indicted for money stolen from here and there should have been sacked by the BOT by now. We told them. We wrote to the BOT before we went to court to ask the NWC to audit their account of money that was paid to them that was stolen. The BOT received our letter on March 15, and we gave them 15 days to act on our request. When they failed to perform..... They said they wrote to the NWC but they had not got an answer and that’s why we went to court. Now the BOT will be the overall winner because our contention in the court is that the court should handover the party to the BOT and declare the present members of the NWC as illegal. We joined INEC in the suit because we are going back to the issue of accountability. We know monies were stolen by the people who are there now and we’ve traced some of the accounts. They were not monies that had anything to do with the campaign fund; they were monies paid by candidates who bought forms to contest the last elections. We are talking about billions. We know of officers that have bought houses in Abuja. We know of an officer that was so poor like a rat when he first came here and today he has two houses in Abuja and has even married another wife. It’s shameful. We have looters not officers. Have you written to the EFCC about these people and their alleged criminal activities? Of course. We want the custodians of the party, the custodians of the party to do the needful. Get the accounts of our party audited properly to expose the massive corruption in the system. For a party that lost a major election and wants to reorganize it, don’t you think that the proposed convention should have been allowed to hold so that you can at least have some form of leadership to face the tasks ahead? When a train crashes and people are being taken out dead or alive from the wreck and they are taken to the hospital, do you immediately begin another journey with the train? You don’t move the wrecked train immediately. You stop there to repair and re-assemble the coaches. Rebuilding the party is not done by convention or congresses. It is done by organs created by the party. The BOT is the conscience of the party. Article 32-5(a) stipulates clearly that the BOT is the custodian of the conscience of the party. They are the owners of the party. It is not the NWC that owns the party. The BOT erred for not even talking on time. They allowed the NWC to hoodwink them and then to hijack the party.

What is the way forward? What we need now is reconciliation, reconstruction, rehabilitation and remodeling of PDP. It’s not done by congresses and convention. When we started NPN, I was a very young man. It was done by people like Adamu Ciroma

and they were there on acting capacity. It was a caretaker committee that was in charge at that time. We could rebuild and control this party by the BOT taking charge and creating a caretaker committee of people who are able, who are thorough and who have a sense of decency; not people who are indicted for crimes. We really need people who have conscience to reorganize the party. We still have such people, many of them. It cannot be done by criminals. Dr. Doyin Okupe and some other PDP leaders from the South-West feel sidelined with everything going to the North. What do you think about this posture? There is no need for other regions to feel sidelined yet. We are not giving them (North) positions of power; we are giving them jobs to do. Why are people so anxious about it? If they are going to be there for one or two years, let’s call it a caretaker situation in which you bring some people in to rebuild the party. After two years, we change the leadership structure before the 2019 election. By that time, we would have already put the party back on the tracks to be able to move forward. It’s commonsense. The way my colleagues are going about this agitation for the chairmanship to be given to the South-West is funny. What about other regions in the South. The South-South might demand more and they have right to do so. They even have more rights to demand for the chairmanship position because they delivered their states to the party. What has the South-West delivered? What exactly would the South-West do to reconnect our party members scattered around the North who are aggrieved? Could they assuage the grievances against the party in the North as much as a northerner would do? They can’t! I remember the time of Chief Adisa Akinloye; it was Adamu Ciroma and Uba Ahmed that we’re running around on matters like this. It is not the issue of position now; it is the issue of work. Let us give work to those who can do it so that we can all enjoy the benefits. Your decision to zone the presidential ticket to the North is also creating ripples in some quarters. Do you share this view? The decision to zone our presidential ticket is to ensure we redress the mistake of the past. When we are talking about two terms, we had the late President Umaru Yar ’Adua serving only about two years and some months. Suddenly the act of God took him away and Jonathan had to complete his term. He completed it on the condition that he knew that it was an act of God, otherwise it was a position for the North. In 2011, Jonathan forced his way in to make sure he had his own four years and in 2015 he wanted to go for another four years. This was what caused our problem. So it is fair, it is commonsense for us to give back to those who ought to have had the crown. Maybe that would heal the wounds. So I don’t see anything wrong with it.

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

The Foolish King (Part 1)

Colour by numbers

nce upon a time, there was a foolish King who believed that he was the cleverest of all the people in his kingdom. He was convinced that nobody could trick him. Every day he displayed his wisdom in his palace, and predictably, his minsters applauded every word he spoke. Not satisfied, the King decided to find out if there was anybody in the world who was smarter than he was. He ordered his ministers, “Find a person smarter than me. A person who is clever and can outsmart me. Search the world and bring the person before me. I will test him and if I beat him he has to be my slave.” The King’s ministers set out to find such a person who can take on the King. They met several wise men, but they were smart enough to know that if you compete with the King, you may end up being the slave. Therefore, nobody was ready to take up the challenge. Worried over the prospect of returning to the King without any challenger, the ministers reached the very border of the kingdom. They decided to spend the night in the nearby village. The villagers here were poor because the farmlands belonged to the king. Besides, he charged the villagers a hefty tax for using it. Therefore, the villagers were left with nothing, even if they toiled throughout the year. Despite their hardship, they treated the king’s men well. They gave them a hearty meal, and entertained them around a campfire lit in the village center with stories, poems, and riddles. During the course of the evening, one fellow caught the attention of the ministers. He was very quick with his answers and clever in his ways. His name was Vonik. They approached him and suggested that he travel with them to the King’s palace, and compete with him. Although reluctant at first, Vonik agreed to go with them. He said, “I won’t take my coat or my hat. I will come with you if you agree to take me to King just like this”. The King’s men agreed and they took him to the king.

Crossword puzzle

Tongue Twister Did Dick Pickens prick his pinkie pickling cheap cling peaches in an inch of Pinch or framing his famed French finch photos?

Math in picture

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016

my Turning point I’d rather have Jesus –Snoop Dogg p.32

Interview

We must not pray for religious war – Sanyaolu p.33

sermon

When your money is running out p.50

FAITH

Tai Anyanwu Head, religous Desk titus.anyanwu@newtelegraph © Daily Telegraph Publishing

Christians rally against ‘Black Mass’ scheduled in Oklahoma

Oritsejafor

Gado

Why CAN elections may be frustrated

Tai Anyanwu

here are strong indications that the alleged secret government interest in the leadership process of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) now poses serious threat to the electoral process billed to produce the next President for the apex Christian body in the country. New Telegraph investigation revealed that some members of the Electoral College may have been compromised. It was reliably learnt that a caucus is threatening that if the ECWA candidate, Dr. Jeremiah Gado, is not allowed to vie in the elections slated for May 16 and 17, it will frustrate the Electoral College by creating a void to give the impression that the outgoing CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, wants to prolong his stay. Sources close to the Electoral College, told New Telegraph that a meeting with some select members of the Electoral College in attendance was held in Kaduna last weekend. It was gathered that the group came up with the strategy that, if the ECWA president was prevented from participating in the process, the caucus would frustrate the Electoral College from fulfilling its constitutional mandate of choosing two candidates for the National Executive Council, which will in turn pick the next president.

The APC government at the centre has been fingered to be behind covert moves to compromise the leadership process of the CAN and sponsor a pro-Buhari clergy from the North so as to avoid any radical opposition to his administration from the Christian Community. Based on such fears, two groups under the aegis of the Patriotic Christian Youths of Nigeria (PCYN) and the Northern Christian Youth Solidarity Movement for Emancipation, Development, Justice and Self-determination have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to warn their officials perceived to be neck deep in ensuring that the church in Nigeria is divided, to desist from that endeavour to avoid a possible setback in government’s quest for a change in the country. In a statement signed by Evangelist Simon Timothy Nasso, PCYN urged President Buhari to be mindful that the good intention of his government to effect genuine change in Nigeria does not suffer a setback if the top officials of his government are not ready to leave the church alone. PCYN noted that Nigeria is passing through an excruciating period as a result of the current insecurity, economic depreciation and mismanagement of resources, stating: “While we pray for President Buhari to have the

wisdom and courage to sail through these challenges, we urge the Federal Government to desist from pushing its favoured candidate for the office of the National CAN President. “The deliberate exhibition and expression of vested government interest in the forthcoming CAN election and the attempt to impose a desperate candidate who lacks people-oriented leadership style inform our writing. As Christian Youths of Nigeria, we are interested in knowing the calibre of persons that will lead the church in this trying period. Any attempt by any person or persons in authority to anoint and sponsor a leader based on parochial interest to lead the church must CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 34

housands of Christians have united to protest a satanic ritual known as a “black mass” scheduled for public venue in Oklahoma later this year. A report by Christian Post, Dakhma of Angra Mainyu, a satanic group overseeing the black mass, was co-founded by Adam Daniels, who is a registered sex offender. He reportedly plans to hold the mass in August at the Oklahoma City Civic Centre Music Hall. “The first ritual will be the black mass as done in 2014, and the second ritual will be the consumption of Mary by Jai Kali Maa. The second ritual will educate the public on the practice of ahrimanism.” The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines a “black mass” as “a blasphemous and usually obscene burlesque of the true mass performed by satanic cults.” In turn, Tradition Family Property, a conservative Roman Catholic group, has launched a petition to have the event cancelled. So far, 104,794 people have signed the petition, which argues that “every Black Mass is a direct, deliberate and sinful act of hatred against God.” “Please spread the word to all your friends so we can stop this sacrilege. Your voice and prayers were decisive at Harvard University -- the satanic Black Mass there was stopped. Canceled. Saint Michael won a great victory that day. And God can win again,” reads the petition, in part. It continues: “Often, a Consecrated Host is stolen from a Catholic Church and then used to desecrate, mock and insult the Catholic Mass. The Person of Our Lord Jesus Christ is attacked in a most vile and unspeakable manner. These insults against God are not only offensive to Christians, but also repulsive to everyone of goodwill.” “I urge you to cancel this event which offends more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide, 200,000 Catholics in Oklahoma and countless more God-loving Americans. Sacrilege is simply NOT free speech.” In September 2014, the Dakhma of Angra Mainyu held a sold-out black mass at the Civic Centre. “I’m very glad that we get the opportunity to share with people what Satanism really is and not Hollywood portrays it to be,” Daniels said at the time. “They like to say satanists get together and sacrifice animals and people, and that’s not what we do.” Steve Hill, Oklahoma City Mayor Mike Cornett’s chief of staff said the mayor’s office received 1,000 emails protesting the city allowing Satanists to use a public building for an event mocking Christianity. However, the Oklahoma Parks and Recreation revealed it allowed for the black mass to take place for fear of litigation. “If we had cancelled the event, we would likely have been sued by the ACLU, whom we know was watching the case very closely,” stated a spokesperson.

SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

faith

My TURNING P

Roving Worshipper

INT

with Tai Anyanwu

Turn your bitter situations to better – Kumuyi

t 74, the General can see about is very bitter; Superintendent of personal lives bitter, family Deeper Life Bible lives bitter, community bitChurch, Dr. William F. Ku- ter, employment situation muyi, is not deterred in his bitter, economy bitter, evbusiness of winning souls erything appear to be bitter for Christ. and we cannot have a place Towards the end of 2015, of peace. The prosperity and he embarked on a city wide the good things we used to crusade to conquer the city have we cannot see them of Lagos, which in spite of we cannot have them. Units church saturation; the GS derline the word you find in instead was far from being Lamentation - Bitter. “And then comes Ezekiel, fully evangelized. The result was an over- brings another word betwhelming harvest of souls, ter. Tonight everything will miracle explosions and di- change from bitter to better. verse experience with the Uncommon power is comGod of Wonders. ing your way. The wonder, In order to consolidate the miracle, the power and on the gains of the crusade the anointing that change that took the man of God to bitter to better,” he declared. about 19 venues of the monBut how? He said: “There umental open air outreach- is tiny difference between es, the GS started the years bitter and better. If you carry with scheduled teaching these two words down, bitand counselling intended to ter and better; they are altouch lives and cause revival most the same, they are very amongst his numerous fol- near each other. The problem lowers in different branches is a letter that is different, the of the church. ‘I’ in bitter. Once you change The amazing response that it to ‘E’ all the other things trailed the targeted follow- there, everything becomes up metamorphosed into better.” another move resulting to Kumuyi emphasized that crusade held last Sunday life is bitter because of that at the Tafawa single ‘I’ who exbalewa Square, There is tiny difference Lagos Island. plained is in the The crusade between bitter and indicame on the better. If you carry these heels of the cur- two words down, bitter vidual man’s rent economic and better; they are hardship, un- almost the same name. precedented “Once fuel scarcity, blackout, in- there is a change in that insecurity; job cuts, general dividual, there is a change feeling of despondency and of that ‘I’, there is a transforbitterness in Nigeria. mation of that ‘I’, there is a The erudite teacher of touch of heaven on that ‘I’. the word of God summed Once you pick up that ‘I’ the wailing and lamenta- and you say ‘you are the tion in the land up in with problem in the word bitter, I one word – BITTERNESS. will pick that ‘I’ and you pick Speaking on the topic “The it up and God puts you on wonder of Turning Bitter to and takes that ‘I’ and picks Better,” Kumuyi assured the you over and he turns you participants that the secret over and then adds ‘E’; Emof turning anybody’s bitter manuel comes into your life. situations to better actually ‘I’ goes away and it is not ‘I’ lies within every individual. that lives. But Emmanuel, Using the scriptures, in the God with us, the power of book of Lamentations 3:15: transformation, the power of “He hath filled me with bit- miracles, the power of wonterness, he hath made me ders, will take that ‘I’”. drunken with wormwood” He added: “You are the one and the book of Ezekiel standing in the way that is 3611: “And I will multiply what makes life bitter. You upon you man and beast; are the one standing there and they shall increase and and you will not move; you bring fruit: and I will settle are the one that is not giving you after your old estates, place to Emmanuel.” and will do better unto you Once an individual takes than at your beginnings: and the step, God will purify, ye shall know that I am the perfect, empower, prosper Lord,” Kumuyi revealed and establish His presence what looks like the secret to in the individual and life turning one’s night to day. would become better, Ku“Lamentation says all they muyi asserted.

Snoop Dogg

I’d rather have Jesus –Snoop Dogg A merican rapper, Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr., popularly known as Snoop Dogg, recently surprised his numerous fans by sharing a video on social media in which he sings the famed Gospel song, “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” Gospel Herald.com has reported. “I’d rather have Jesus than silver and gold,” Snoop repeatedly sings in the video which he posted on his Instagram account (@snoopdogg) on Sunday. He captioned the video “Silver and gold. @dashradio Cadillac music Sunday gospel mix.” Premiere notes that the song was made famous during Billy Graham’s evangelistic rallies by worship leader George Beverly Shae, and includes the lyrics “I’d rather have Jesus than worldly applause/I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause/I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame/I’d rather be true to His holy name.” While some fans expressed astonishment at the move, others were thrilled to see the rapper

praising the Lord. a Christian, but has given “Praise Him, Snoop!” varying responses on the wrote one fan. issue of religion when “Fire refines silver & asked about his own faith. gold; but the good Lord “As a kid, I was pushed refines the hearts of man,” into the Baptist church, wrote another. taught that way,” he told “Right on Snoop! I start the Associated Press in every day off with Je- 2003. “As an adult, I was sus. Now I got you on able to seek out informamy prayer list. God bless tion on my own to find out brother!” added another that the Muslim religion, fan. Rastafari, Baptist, and Others suggested the Christian - that they all “Gin and Juice” singer the same. may be experiencing a He added, “They all Godchange of heart. fearing people and love is “I think he’s realizing love. ... It’s more based what is TRULY valuable. on life and a way of life When it’s all said and and liberty as opposed to done, only one thing can religion. Because religion give true peace, love and is so false, because it’s so rest. That one thing is Jesus past tense and written by Christ of Nazareth,” wrote someone who is not here. one commenter. I feel like religion should “With the platform you be based on the way you have, imagine how many people you I’d will reach with rather have the gospel mesJesus than silver and sage of Salvagold, Snoop repeatedly sings tion! Come in the video which he posted on now! Give on his Instagram account (@ our heavenly Father glory snoopdogg) on Sunday. He through your captioned the video “Silver and Rap skills gold. @dashradio Cadillac Snoop!” wrote music Sunday gospel another. mix Premiere notes that Snoop Dogg, 44, was brought up as

live and the way you treat yourself and treat others.” Speaking to The Guardian in 2013, Snoop said that his life and view of women were changed for the better because of religion. “I used to answer hate with hate. Like if you hate me, I hate you more. But now I answer hate with love,” he said. “Because I was making music for me, speaking from my perspective,” he explained. “I was taught that a [expletive] is a [expletive] and a [expletive] was a [expletive], so my music represented that, until I got to the point where I wanted to show love and appreciation for the woman.” In an interview with HHDX, the rapper said that while he believes a certain way, he tries not to push those beliefs on others. “It’s not even about being bashful or shy,” he said. “I’ve never been offensive with [my beliefs]. I’ve always been the one to let people know slowly but surely who I am. I don’t force it on you or try to make you become what I am.”

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016

faith

Could tell us a little about your background? During my tertiary education, I was the Secretary of the Nigerian Muslim Society. I studied data processing and I am a Fellow of the London Institute of Data Processing. However, I went back to seminary in both local and foreign universities, following my call to ministry; and I have a PHD in Theology and Psychology. The Chapel of Holiness was founded about 18 years ago; and we have our camp, which houses The Rhema Bible College and Theological Seminary, in Ogun State. I did the first Nigerian documentary on Bible Comes Alive in Israel, Egypt and Turkey for Lagos State. And I am married with children. How were you converted? I was into Islam. I read the Holy Koran very well and can interpret it. My mother comes from a Christian background. During my growing up days, I had the grace of dreaming and interpreting my dreams. My father, who is a Muslim fundamentalist, did everything to suppress the gift. I was given admission into Rev. Kuti’s Memorial Grammar School; my father came there, took me out of the place and put in a Muslim high school. But the more he tried to suppress the Christian essence in me, the more I grew in grace. Each time I slept, I saw myself evangelizing, talking about Christ to people. I was not getting satisfaction in other things I did, I was always excited to leave my house and go preaching. Even when I was still a Muslim, I had Christian brothers who came to share the Bible with me. When they cite a scriptural verse, I will show them where the same thing is said in the Koran. I could see that the New Testament and the Koran are almost the same. So, I found out that I am privileged, and that I needed to study the Bible so that I will not mislead that people. After my education, I worked with a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company called Sandoz Nigeria Limited. One day, I told my Managing Director that I was resigning to going to Bible school. That was the beginning my journey to ministry. At the seminary, I made it known that I knew nothing about the Bible and that I wanted to start from the scratch. I spent about nine years in the Seminary and on completion, I worked under a ministry. I had no intension of staring a church. But something led to my finding the Chapel of Holiness. It got to a point that each time I said anything, it came to pass. The Pastor of the church where I was serving was uncomfortable with how people appreciated my prophetic gift. Hence, he advised me to go my own way. I refused to go to any church, but kept praying and doing vigils in my house. Eventually, I was persuaded to start a church with four members. What would you say is your ministerial gift? I am a prophet by birth, but by virtue of my theological education, I am a teacher; born a prophet and trained to be a teacher. What are your thoughts about the fact that many Christians run after prophecies and miracles rather than giving time to study the word and to prayers? First, let say prophets are made by God; and that I never carry prophet as an accolade before my name. The moment one starts doing that, it seems he has a market to sell. I don’t have any market to sell. But coming to people chasing after prophecy, everyone in life wants to know what tomorrow holds for him or her. For that reason, people capitalize on that opportunity even when God is not talking. Some league of Bishops, mostly from the South-South, came to me before the 2015 general election. They were saying that Jonathan would win the election. But I told them not to be beclouded by their visitations to Aso Rock Villa that God said Goodluck Jonathan will lose the election. I advised them that if God says somebody is going to lose election, what they should do is to find out why God has said that person would lose and what you could be done to change the situation.

We must not pray for religious war – Sanyaolu

The Senior Pastor of Chapel of Holiness Evangelical, Dr. Adesina Adeleke Sanyaolu, was born into Islam, now he leads a flourish end time ministry based in Lagos. He warns that state regulation of religious practice would end in disaster in this interview with Tai Anyanwu I said, you came here and you address me as Prophet Sanyaolu, if Jonathan wins the election, remove the prophet from my name and call me Mr. Sanyaolou that means God is not with me. What am I trying to say here? Prophecy is like a compass to guide us against making mistakes. But let me equally say that whether prophesy or no prophesy, wherever God is taking someone to He will definitely take that person there. However, one thing that cannot change is prayer. Prophesy can change. God told Moses: “I am taking you to the Promised Land.” The same God told Moses, “You are not getting to the Promised Land gain.” Also, God told Joshua that no nation will overrun the emerging nation of Israel; but because of spiritual insensitivity, a tiny nation called Ai overran Israel. Prophesy can fail and one of the dangers of running after prophesy is the moment you begin to hear all these suit-saying, it will affect your prayer life. So long you know God is going to give you a car, why will you want to kill yourself praying for God to give you a car? It is more of danger for people pursuing miracles. I can’t be tied talking to the church about what God says in His word. If you build a church on prophesies you are not building a church of salvation. Prophesies are shortcut solutions. The Bible says that prophesy will end. If you come to church because of prophesy, the moment those prophesies are fulfilled your faith leaves. It is better to build a church rested on prayers. Prayer is a transport that brings divinity to humanity. Prayer is communing with God. Without prayer nothing can happen. The world is fast coming to an end. Come to think about it, how many are really called to the office of priesthood? The economic down turn has turned a lot of intelligent people into becoming pastors; because there is no work. If the economy is better tomorrow, many of them will go back to where they belong; and t o d a y, churches

Sanyaolu

are run through secular administration, no longer on divine direction. But those who do so are deceiving themselves. Today many pastors are bosses and their congregation worship and fear them to tag along. When you see these kinds of things, they are signs of end time. I believe in the church that is rested on prayer because prayer answereth all things. Are also concerned about the emergency of sophisticated, liberal churches? Today, you see churches going to borrow money from banks; because they have brought in secularity into the church of God. But hey are two parallel lines. For example, the law of poverty says that when what is going out is more than what is coming in the result is poverty; the law of God on the other hand enjoins believers to you give out, scatter and that the more you give out the more God multiplies you. What you call churches today are associations. People no longer go to church because of what God is saying. God is a merciful God. Today, if you don’t have engineers, professionals, captain of industries and influential people in the church, people hardly fraternise with such a church. People are now worshipping humanity. Of course, God is not against you being prosperous; the Bible says seek you first the kingdom of God and his riotousness then all other things will follow. These days, you see seminars on financial management, seminar on financial break through. You no longer see seminars on the kingdom of God; or seminars on the end time nowadays. If you try to, people will go for the prosperity seminars instead. The church itself is not encouraging. Today, even universities and educational in-

stitutions owned by churches are much more expensive than other educational facilities. But the church should be a place of succour, where you can run to for peace. Children of younger pastors cannot even go to those schools because the church pays poor salaries; yet their parents contributed money used to establish the schools. God will never change his standard because of any man. We must conform to God’s standards to move situations forward. Shouldn’t government then introduce legislations to check the excesses of church operators? First, Nigeria is a secular state. People can practice whatever they like provided they are not infringing on the human rights of other people. If government decides to legislation Christian practices it will also affect the Muslims worship because Christian will cry persecution. We survived the civil war but one must not pray to witness religious war; it is worse. It would be easier to regulate religious practices if Nigeria is a one-religion state, then no religion will cry foul. Today, Christians are suspecting President Muhammadu Buhari. We all are watching and it is very sensitive, if his government will try to regulate the operation of churches, he will be resisted. That is also why we cannot have Muslim president and also have a Muslim Vice President at the same time. That is how sensitive religion in Nigeria really is. Any government in Nigeria that wants peace will distance itself from regulating religious practices. I think that there is a mistake in the body of Christian associations. They, ideally, should check the excesses of churches without the interference of government. For example, how can one establish CAN? For Christ sake, it cannot work because I believe in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I don’t believe in angelology; I believe I will one day judge the angels according to the Bible. I don’t believe in burning candle or incense, some believe in it. It is difficult for us come together in on association. I believe this discrepancy is why the PFN was established. White garment churches, the Pentecostals, and the Orthodox churches should rather have their separate associations. Each should, however, contribute a representative to central body that will be making some laws that will guide Christian churches in the country, with legal backing from government. Should government to directly regulate churches, it will be seen as antiChrist and it will be a disaster. What do you think of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-ufi, regarding his executive bill seeking to regulate public preaching in the state? El-Rufai has sealed his political future of becoming anything better than the Governor of Kaduna State or a senator. I can appreciate that they are having some issues with the Shiite movement there; and the problems the Shiite are causing in the Asia and Arabic world.

SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

faith

Martins to FG: Stop Fulani herdsmen or face reprisals

Tai Anyanwu he Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace, Alfred Adewale Martins has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently stop further killings perpetuated by Fulani herdsmen in the Southern parts of the country, or face violent reprisal attacks from the south. He warned that government’s seeming apathy on the issue may soon spark of violence that would destabilize the peace and security of the entire country. He is also calling on the president to be more proactive in salvaging the dwindling state of the economy in order to avert an imminent breakdown of the

system. Archbishop Martins condemned the recent bloody invasion of Ukpabi, Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State by the herdsmen, in its entirety and called on the President to speak up on a lasting solution to the lingering crisis and bring the perpetuators of the ghastly acts to book. In a statement on the state of the nation issued by the Director of Social Communications, Msgr. Gabriel Osu, the Metropolitan of the Lagos Archdiocese wondered why the relevant law enforcement agencies, especially the police, have allegedly continued to treat with kids glove reports of similar incidences brought to their notice.

Martins warned that their inability to curtail the excesses of the herdsmen clearly sends the signal that they are above the law. He noted with dismay that the poor masses are already disenchanted with the frequent excuses the present administration gives as reasons why they have not been performing. He therefore challenged Buhari and his team to buckle up by tackling prevailing challenges and introducing far-reaching palliatives that would urgently address the rots in the system and provide food on the table of Nigerians. On the near-comatose state of the economy, Archbishop Martins said the inability of the present gov-

ernment to put an end to the lingering fuel scarcity, and epileptic power supply have caused untold hardship on the long-suffering masses of the country who had voted them into power in anticipation of positive change. Archbishop Martins, while noting the complexities of challenges facing the country at this period in time, urged Nigerians not to lose hope as God has not forsaken them. He, however, called on the leadership to be more practical in showing empathy for the suffering masses by cutting down on unnecessary luxury and profligacy, while channelling the nation’s resources appropriately to better the lots of the citizens

Don’t pay lip service to unemployment, Osu tells govt

he Director of Social communication, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, had called on government to stop paying lip service to prevalent chronic unemployment in the country. Osu made the call in a statement made available to Sunday Telegraph at the weekend, in Lagos as labour unions prepare to observe its day on May 1. His words: “In order for us a country to be progressive, our government must show more genuine commitment towards providing gainful opportunities for the unemployed. As long as we play lip service to youth employment, we will never find peace as a nation.” Osu also appealed to youths not to be ashamed of using their hands saying; “Whatever your hands find to do, do it with pride and God will reward you accordingly. We should not allow pride to take hold of us. The reality of our times is that work is hard to get. The fact that you are a university graduate does not

mean you cannot become a farmer or a furniture maker. Remember our Lord Jesus Christ was a son of a carpenter” He added: “I want to appeal to the in-coming administration to take another look at the plight of Nigerian workers. The so-called minimum wage is grossly in adequate. Except the take-home pay of the average worker is able to provide the basic necessities of life, then the fight against corruption would remain an illusion. “As we mark May Day, it is pertinent to examine the importance of work or labour to our physical and spiritual well-being. Labour should be valued as the source of unequalled prosperity, and as a characteristic of a strong and determined people. It is a thing of joy for a man to wake up early in the morning and go to work. Conversely, it is not dignifying for a man to be jobless. When a man is without job, he is restless and uncomfortable. It is expectedly so because when one fails to work, poverty would creep in,” Osu said.

Last six churches seized in Turkey

I Cross section of participants at the Deeper Life Bible Church crusade held by its General Superintendent, Pastor William Kumuyi, at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos Island, last Sunday

Why CAN elections may be frustrated CON TINUED FR O M PAGE 31

be resisted by the Nigeria Christian youths.” The evangelist added that false messages have been going out that Dr. Jeremiah Gado, who recently addressed a press conference to announce his candidature, is the Northern interest in the CAN election and he is the only qualified candidate who has won his primaries. However, PCYN debunked such speculators, describing them as unfounded news aimed at deceiving the public that CAN leaders are fighting against Northern interest just to earn the favour and sympathy of the president who they perceive to have a Northern bias. “The sponsors of the

falsehood did not tell their pay masters that unlike Nigerian political office zoning, the church has a different leadership selection process not based on region, tribe and denomination and that Dr. Jeremiah Gado has not gotten any nomination from his church; ECWA not to talk of scaling through his bloc TEKAN-ECWA hence he is not a nominated candidate for the elections,” the statement added. “While Dr. Gado and his team want the public to believe that the contest is between him and the OAIC candidate, Prof. Joseph Otubu, it’s on record that Rev. Supo Ayokunle, outgoing CAN Vice President, who is the Head of Baptist Churches in Nigeria and member of Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) bloc, is

also a nominee for the office of the President,” the statement added. Invariably, the youth group accused Dr. Gado of using government machinery and the media as medium for his campaign rather than mobilizing the church groups and the delegates, stressing “he is a candidate that speaks of his selection process and that of other contenders in the media even when the Electoral College saddled with the responsibility of screening the nomination of candidates from various blocs have not made any statement on the number of the aspirants from the various blocs.” On its part, the Northern Christian Youth Solidarity Movement for Emancipation, Development, Justice and Self-Determination is

concerned about the desperation of the so-called Northern candidate, noting that such ambition has adversely affected the TEKAN/ECWA bloc and has posed a threat to the corporate existence of the ECWA denomination. “We have therefore resolved, as critical stakeholders, that we will no longer fold our hands and watch the body of Christ in Nigeria be destroyed just because of an individual’s aspiration. We therefore call on eminent Christian individuals and groups, especially the leadership of the five blocs in CAN to resist any form of intimidation by enemies of the church to install a leader for the church,” the statement signed by the group’s PRO, Rev. James Gani stated.

n an attempt to further restrict religious freedom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has taken control of the last six Christian churches in the wartorn south-eastern region of Turkey and made them state property. According to the World Watch Monitor, the order to seize the churches was made last month by Erdogan’s Council of Ministers who claimed they intended to rebuild and restore the historical centre of Diyarbakir, which has been partially destroyed by 10 months of urban conflict between government forces and militants from the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK). The structures seized in the city included Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches, one of which is over 1,700 years old. The report notes that now, the churches will be run exclusively by the government - in a country where about 98 percent of the population is Muslim. Local Christians are infuriated by the seizures and are threatening to take legal action against the decision. Ahmet Guvener, the pastor of Diyarbakir Protestant Church, said: “The govern-

ment didn’t take over these pieces of property in order to protect them. They did so to acquire them.” Diyarbakir Bar Association - which represents Christians worshipping at one of the churches, has now officially filed an appeal the government’s action. In a statement, the group said: “Among the expropriated plots, there are structures belonging to public institutions ... and places of worship and residences considered as historical and cultural heritage. “This decision, which seems to be made by the request of the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning without any reason or justification, is unacceptable within the limits of constitutional order.” Government leaders argue that the order to take control of the churches was not religiously motivated, pointing out that they have also occupied some historical mosques in the city. However, PJ Media notes that unlike Christian churches, which are maintained by their congregations, all mosques in Turkey are state-backed and funded, meaning their futures are secure.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

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Maryam Mairo carving a niche

aughter of second republic member of House of Representatives from Kano State, Mustapha Balarabe, Maryam Mairo, may have become a news maker as the second wife of the former speaker of the House of Representatives, now a governor, Aminu Tambuwal, but unknown to many, she’s not new to living as a high flyer as she has long been moving with the high and mighty from her days back in the Centre of Excellence, Lagos. Beautiful Mairo, as an IT expert, has had opportunities to work in telecoms and oil and gas companies. Mario, the second wife of the Sokoto State governor may have earnestly begun to project an image and carve a niche. Just like it was a dream come true to get a bigger platform to express herself, Mairo, almost immediately she made her relationship official with the governor some months back, hit the ground running to engage in charity works and lending helping hand to those in need. Although, some are beginning to interpret her kind gesture to mean she’s competing with the first lady, Mariya, but she’s peace lover who is only interested in expressing herself.

Akingbade, Lemo families unite

hief Bola Akingbade, through hard work that led to success, has kept flying the name of his family that is rooted in Akure, Ondo State. The same way, the former deputy governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Tunde Lemo, has also consolidated on the clean reputation his family from Ogun State has maintained for many years. These two families of great reputation may have found a point of connection as they united to become one through the union of their children in holy matrimony. It was memorable days of events when the son of former Chief Marketing Officer of telecommunication giant, MTN, Chief Bola Akingbade, Olaoluwa, and daughter of Tunde Lemo, Kikelomo, exchanged marital vow. Olaoluwa and Kikelomo had classy traditional engagement before the grand finale of sealing the union which was held at Four Square Church, Yaba, Lagos. With a lot of important personalities made up of family, friends and well-wishers in attendance, the two love birds, to the admiration of both parents, were pronounced man and wife. To say parents of bride and groom were joyous is an understatement. They danced and celebrated with those who came to share in the joy of the day.

Feyi Fayose’s silent moves

N Amazing world of Flora Kwakpovwe

he usual saying that preparation compliments opportunity aptly describes the situation of the better half of founder of Lagos based worship centre, Manna Prayer Mountain Worldwide, Bishop Chris Kwakpovwe. Reverend Flora Ejiro has been working as a great compliment as well as pillar behind her husband based on the fact that she prepared herself even when she had no clue she was going to be married to a man of God. Flora is coordinator, co-publisher and Managing Director of Our Daily Manner, an internationally acclaimed devotional booklet. She may not be a loud personality but those who have crossed her path will attest to the strength she’s endowed with, not just to work in the vineyard if God, but to make positive impact wherever she is as well as go out of her way to provide succor to those in need. The Public Administration graduate of Abia State University decided to follow Christ as far back as over three decades ago before she was spiritually molded many years later at a Bible college. She has for over many years, lived a selfless life devoted to humanity. As a philanthropist, she has blessed so many lives.

When Titi Oseni pulled a surprise

eautiful Titi Oseni, in the history of Ogun State politics, remains one of the luckiest people especially as it concerns her rise to the top in the political arena of the Gateway state. Chocolate skinned Titi, it will be recalled, at her first time in an elective office as member of the state’s assembly was fortunate to have had her zone tipped to produce the speaker of the House. She eventually became the first female speaker in the state. The amiable woman, since she left the office, has been busy with her business even as she works tirelessly to retain her political grip. She also finds time to socialise when it’s necessary. Based on the fact that she has a feud with her principal, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, towards the end of their administration even though they were allies initially, the two had remained parallel lines. Of course, Titi never stopped acknowledging the former governor as her leader but many had long given up on their reconciliation. It was indeed and no doubt surprising to many to have seen the former speaker saunter into the venue when Otunba Daniel threw a bash to celebrate his 60th birthday. Although, it was not too concealed how the America returnee had in a way kept to herself throughout the event, but beautifully clad in nicely made apparel with her dazzling jewellery, Oseni was simply stunning as she stood out in the crowd with her fine looks and dress sense.

umber one indigene of Fountain of Knowledge State, Ekiti, Peter Ayodele Fayose, based on his outspoken nature and his controversial side might not be the best person many would want to understudy as an example of a gentleman but one area of the governor ’s life one can’t help but take cue from is his marital life. As controversial as Fayose might seem, even outside government, the dude has the gimmick of keeping a home and making his wife remain loyal and committed to him. Staying in marriage for this long with about five grown up boys, speaks volume about his ability to keep a home. The first lady of Ekiti, Feyi, who is the thrust of this peace, might be very reserved, unlike her hubby, but their compatibility is never in doubt. According to those who should know, she might be known for her quiet mien but she’s said to know how to move and what to do to make her moves very relevant. Sources revealed that the woman, who is a devout Christian, has so much influence on her husband and it makes her relevant as many people seek her face to curry the husband’s favour. Her moves, they say, might be silent but very effective. In her traditional silent moves, sources reveal she just acquired a vast parcel of land for a shopping complex.

Body&Soul

Wine & Dine

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Preserve wine taste in the bottle Ibukunoluwa Kayode

ines go bad when acetic acid bacteria consumes the alcohol in wine and metabolizes it into acetic acid and acetaldehyde. This causes the wine to have a sharp vinegarlike smell and a spicy, bruised apple-like taste that is very unpleasant. I’m sure no one wants their sweets, refreshing palate friendly turn sour or flat. All wines can be stored. Fortified wines can last open for up to a month, but most other wine last only about three to five days. Not to worry; for every type of wine there are answer based suggestion to store and preserve them after opening. The Sparkling Wine One to three days in the fridge with a sparkling wine stopper is the most. The sparkling wines lose their carbonation quickly after opening. Only the traditional method sparkling wine, such as Cava or Champagne, will last a little longer than a tank method sparkling wine such as Prosecco. Light White, Sweet White and Rosé Wine Most light white and rosé wines will be drinkable for up to a week when stored in your refrigerator with a cork. You’ll notice the taste will change subtly after the first day as the wine oxidizes. Some wines will even taste better after the first day, including minerally cool-cli-

Banana egg pancake Biwom Iklaki

aturdays are a great day to bond with your kids. How to bond would be to get them into the kitchen with you to make breakfast. One of the easiest meals to make for breakfast is pancake. So, if you are looking to make something healthy and packed with loads of nutrients, look no further than the banana egg pancake. The kids can help you mash up the banana, crack up the eggs and even whisk it for you while you catch up on goings on in their lives, friends, school, teachers, that sort of stuff. Ingredients 1 banana 2 eggs Sugar (optional as banana is sweet. Try pinch of salt and flecks of pepper for a savoury taste) Preparation Peel and slice banana into a bowl, mash into paste. Crack the eggs into the bowl of banana and whisk all together. Oil pan lightly on medium heat and fry. Serve with assorted berries or fruits and enjoy in the company of your kids’ chatter and laughter.

mate wines like; Northern Italian Pinot Grigio, French Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Full-Bodied White Wine Full-bodied white wines like oaked Chardonnay and Viognier tend to have much less acidity which will cause them to ruin more quickly than light white wines. Be certain to always keep them corked and in the fridge just for five days at most. If you drink a lot of this type of wine, it’s a really smart idea to invest in vacuum caps. The Reds The more tannin and acidity the red wine has, the longer it will last open. So, a light red with very little tannin, such as Pinot Noir, won’t last open as long as a bold red like Petite Sirah. Some wines will even improve after the first day open. Store open red wines for three to five days in a chiller or a dark cool place after opening them. If you don’t have a chiller, your fridge is better than letting the wine sit out in a 70°F (21°C) room. Fortified Wine 28 days in a cool dark place with a cork fortified wines like Port, Sherry, Marsala, and Madeira have very long shelf lives because of the addition of brandy. While these wines do look marvelous displayed on a high shelf, they will lose their wonderful flavours more quickly from exposure to light and heat. The sweeter the fortified wine, the longer it will last. 28 days in a cool dark place with a cork isn’t a bad idea.

NEW TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

KITCHEN DECOR

Kitchen storage on a budget Biwom Iklaki

e all know the regular storage units in the kitchen including the cupboards, pantry, shelves and refrigerator. However, I am sure that a couple of people out there can relate to a situation where you keep collecting beautiful kitchen ware, stuff that you sometimes use, and sometimes not. You just buy them in the hopes that you would one day have need for them and you wouldn’t want to be found wanting. Soon enough, your kitchen becomes cluttered and the once spacious and care-

fully laid out style is no more. Here are a few hacks to solve your situation until you find a more permanent fix 1) Baskets/plastic storage boxes: these would make for a lovely decorative solution and if they are nicely done, the baskets can give the pantry a rustic vibe to the kitchen. Remember to keep them organised, sweets in one basket, savoury goods in another, etc. you could even get the stackable ones for even more storage units. 2) Peg board organiser: peg boards are a no brainer

I am the other woman I know that many of you are going to call me names and tell me that I’m destroying a family but I am also sure that many of you will support me. I am in love with a married man and he will be divorcing his wife to marry me. We met in the most trivial way via the Internet, precisely Facebook. It turned out that we had so many things in common, hobbies and interests. We both live in the same city of Ibadan but I didn’t intentionally set out to seduce him; in fact, we didn’t plan all of this, it just happened. Later on, he told me he had never cheated on his wife for the 10years in which they were married. And now he assures me that he wanted to divorce her and marry me. I am 29 years old, divorced with no children but he has two kids with his wife. He is very kind and considerate, but I’m afraid of all the possible consequences. I want to be with him but I do not want his children to live without a father. I’m afraid that I will not meet his expectations and he will someday leave me. We see each other almost every day and the love is growing. I do not know what to do. Everything is great between us, but on the other hand there are his marriage, his wife and his children. Early on in our

when you need more storage space. They cost very little and can save you a lot. Just nail them to the wall, hang a few pegs on them and you can hang up your crockery sets and more. For even more aesthetic value, how about painting the board the colour of your kitchen wall. 3) DIY door organiser: all this project needs are: an old door (one of those bifold louvered closet doors) some paint and a few pegs. Paint it over nicely and screw to the wall and hang up the pegs and you have extra storage space for just about anything.

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HEARTTHROB

Send SMS only to 07057201814 or vanessaonsunday@yahoo.com

relationship, he said that he would get a divorce but still he does nothing. Tell me your opinion and what you think is best for all of us. Omolara, Ibadan The cheating husband I have been married for almost 9 years. For the past 2 or 3 years, I have been having the feeling that my husband is being intimate with one of his colleagues. We all work together, him, the colleague and me. The mistress has started to display their relationship in a very subtle way but I’m not the kind of woman that is confrontational unless I have concrete proof. He has recently changed his attitude towards me in a positive way but we are still not having any sex. I can’t figure out whether their relationship is continuing or not. I don’t know what to do. We are now arguing at home all the time. I feel terrible! Please, can someone give me any advice?

Ijeoma, Owerri My love for him is fading away. I have been in a relationship with a guy for about five years now. He left the country for Belgium two years ago and promised to come back soon and marry me but I’m getting tired of the wait. I loved hanging around him. And he loves me so much in a very special way, he shows me how worthy I am but the distance is beginning to affect me. Also, other guys are showing serious interest in me and I don’t want to lose out at the end of the day if my boyfriend does not come back for me. The only issue here is that our relationship is a long distance one. I don’t want to lose him and especially don’t want to hurt him. I only wish I can feel the magic again between us. I still love him, but I don’t know if my love is strong enough to wait for a future together. So tell me what you think. Ufuoma, Asaba

My name is Obi, a widower from Abia State. I am a 68 year old man and need a lady that is not less than 40 years old as a wife-08036937925 I am Ben from Benue State. I am single, 43 years old and a dedicated Christian working in Abuja. I need a born again lady that is ready for marriage-07065958861 My name is Akindele, 37 years old, tall, a business consultant, from Oyo State. I need a God-fearing lady, between 35 and 42 years old -08138667044. I am Chima, 39 years old. I need a serious lady, 30-39 years old, ready for a serious relationship that will lead to marriage -0814237533. I am Engr. Chukwuma, 48 years old, 6.3ft tall, widowed; fair-complexioned, from Imo State and a businessman living in Lagos. I want a lady, between 30-48 years old, for a serious relationship that will lead to marriage -0814 041 3702. Gbenga is my name, 24 years old. I need a caring, understanding and mature lady of between 19 and 29 years old for a serious relationship 08083848196, 07067801853. My name is Adeshina, 44 years old, from Ekiti State, a Christian, fair in complexion, 5.6ft tall. I live in Lagos and gainfully employed with an oil company. I need a God-fearing woman, between 38 and 42 years old, for a serious relationship that can lead to marriage -08037464238. My name is Jumoke, a 40-year-old single mother. I work and live in Lagos. I need a responsible working-class or businessman, between 40 and 50 years old, for a relationship -07011962758.

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Avoid evasive relationships

ou know the scenario: someone asks you about the guy you have been dating for a while now, you stutter and start to say something like, ‘well, he’s not really my boyfriend. We are just seeing where things will go.’ But in reality, you are not dating anyone else. You definitely love this guy. All you do is to wait by the phone, hoping he will call and you have no idea if he’s actually seeing other women aside from you. If you’ve ever been in a relationship with someone emotionally unavailable, then you know the pain of not being able to get close to the one you love. They’re evasive, make excuses, or just inept when it comes to talking about feelings or the relationship. Some use anger, criticism, or activities to create distance. You end up feeling alone, depressed, unimportant, or rejected. Assumption is a killer of destiny in my book. Never assume you and your partner are reading the same pages of a book just because you have shared a few mind blowing kisses and had some good times together. Sure, you connect well and have a rather healthy relationship but are you sure he/she is the one you should marry? Being a great boyfriend or girlfriend is different from being a great spouse material. Many people assume that since they get along with their partners as boyfriend and girlfriend, that they will automatically end up married, living happily ever after-Right? Well, Wrong! The sooner you find out, the better, because it will really prevent a lot of confusion and heart ache later. Women are particularly culprits in the assumption arena. Just because you have been in relationship with a guy for a long time, you automatically as-

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sume he will marry you eventually. Meanwhile the guy is just having a great time frolicking with you and marriage is the last thing on his mind. To avoid this type of mistake from occurring, the first thing you need to do in every relationship you enter is to define it. Ask yourself: What kind of relationship do I really want with this person? Is it going to be platonic, friend with benefits (where you stay together for what you are gaining from each other e.g. sex in exchange for money) or strictly for marriage? This way you will be fully aware of your expectations and standards and can then focus on your partner and see whether you are on the same boat or not. If your heart is set on marriage, how can you tell whether your partner is the marriage type? Well, the signs

are very clear to read, if you are just willing to see the truth, even if it is not always what you want. The first step in seeing this truth is to throw sentiments in the air and observe all angles of your relationship- not just the wonderful parts that you want to see. If you are the type of person who would like to settle down and get married when the time is right, then you are naturally going to want a partner who will have the same dreams and goals as you when it comes to love and relationships. While this is only natural, you should not assume that since you and your partner are in a serious relationship, it will end in marriage. This is exactly why you must talk about this with your partner once your relationship reaches a comfortable enough point to

Our intuition can be our friend, letting us know that something is suspicious and warning us to be prepared. When in doubt, communication is important

talk about marriage and commitment. Of course, there are some relationships where it is difficult to read your partner, due to mixed signals. He’s starts being evasive sometimes about what he’s up to, but other times he shares way more than usual. If you try to point out that he’s being evasive, he either tells you that you’re being a nag or you’re being paranoid. The oversharing often comes with this evasiveness because he wants to make a point of how much he’s sharing with you. This can be a subconscious attempt to cover up his evasiveness. The best thing to do is to observe your partner ’s behavior around the topic of marriage and then trust your instincts. Do not rob yourself of true happiness by saying he or she will eventually come around or that you can change him/her, because this usually never works and you only end up waiting around for a man or woman who will never give you what you truly want. Don’t blame anyone when a seven year relationship ends just because you didn’t have enough courage to ask where the relationship is actually heading to. Our intuition can be our friend, letting us know that something is suspicious and warning us to be prepared. When in doubt, communication is important. When the chips are down and you’ve been able to decipher that your partner is not deeply committed to the relationship like you do, then it’s time to pack your bags, end the pity party and look for someone who will see love the same way you do. Getting married is a beautiful life experience, but only if it is with a person who wants to be in it just as eagerly as you do.

Citizens, rise and say ‘not in my country’

start with an anecdote. Sometime in 2002, while working at Post Express Newspaper, I needed to see the editor, Ebere Wabara (yes, the same one), about a story that was developing and since the editor always encouraged us to come to him anytime, I stormed to his office and was surprised to find he was not there. However, in the waiting room were two gentlemen, you know, the executive type with white shirts and silk tie. One looked vaguely familiar and the other was, just an executive. I greeted them, politely asked the secretary to inform me when the editor is back and made to leave when one of the men spoke; “You are Ann’s brother, right?” I stopped dead in my track, I knew he was familiar. I nodded and then he introduced himself, “I am Akin Fadeyi.” Then it fell into place. I didn’t know him by that name, he was ‘Stevo’, a good friend of the family whom I last met about a decade earlier in 1992, at the wedding of my sister, Anna. He was with Cadbury and had come with Gbenga Adebija to see the editor. That started a new chapter in what has proven to be a very cordial relationship. Akin Fadeyi is now my big ‘egbon’, one who didn’t hesitate to ask a man just coming back from England if he needed help when every other person was asking what I brought back for them. Those who know me will tell you that I choose my friends carefully. I rarely use the word, but this is one individual who has proven to be a friend and his brilliance never cease to amaze me. The Cadbury job meant that we worked together on two fronts, as my contact for all information

on Cadbury and because I was involved in the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and Cadbury was the official sponsor of the poetry Prize. I also had to deal with him and I must say I sometimes wonder, not what the big ‘egbon’ can come up with, but what he can NOT come up with. He was that good. Now, this brilliance is once again coming to play in an effort to promote citizen engagement in affairs of state. Come this Tuesday, at Protea Hotel, Lagos, Akin Fadeyi and his team will launch ‘Not in my Country’, a citizen-led anti corruption campaign that simply does what it says on the tin -chase corruption away from Nige-

ria. No, it is not a state sponsored initiative, it has nothing to do with the toothless and selective actions of the EFCC. This is a project that actually asks everyone to make governance and activities around them their business. Governance is not just about those who sit in the parliament and state house, it is about an engaged citizenry who makes demands of the people they have elected. Who asks questions of their leaders and demand answers. Who probes further when the answers are not satisfactory and eventually take action in the face of inaction. That, I suppose is the tenets of democracy, but what do I know? In a public statement, Fadeyi states

Governance is not just about those who sit in the parliament and state house, it is about an engaged citizenry who makes demands of the people they have elected.

the aim of the organisation: “Through simple but engaging creative work, we shall expose ingenuous acts of corruption amongst us and campaign against it. We hurt each other every day through selfish inclinations and acts of sleaze which we pass on as ‘normal things.’ Time to put a stop to it and build a better society built on mutual respect for one another.” This is not something new though. Culturally, at least from the Yoruba perspective, the citizens were always part of the affairs of state. While there are various ways of exposing the evil deeds of the leaders, one common and popular one is the symbolic opening and breaking of a white calabash in the open and public square followed by the march of naked women. Once this is done, a leader knows his time is up. There also exist the griot, historian and custodian of tradition who also doubles as the court jester. He is the ear of the king and through songs and poetry (ewi), he exposes the evil deeds or the effects of a king’s misguided decisions on his subjects. Interestingly, Not In my Country will engage creative outlets such as drama and songs to do their expose on corruption. Another reason why we need not turn our backs on the cultural heritage that we have in favour of received traditions that have not worked in our environment. For obvious reasons, I will not be there at the launch of this initiative, but I believe that it may just be the wakeup call Nigerians need to get up, swing a finger at corruption and corrupt officials and say, “not in my country.”

Y 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2016

Grow your hair edges back

Vanessa Okwara

m like a rock star

enim is f every that is ock star satility atched ss with t~shirt.

z ne

39 19

A pencil heel would also do wonders to this look. If you need to go to work, darher shades of jeans free from distress and rips are appropriate. Throw on a classic white shirt and court shoes, even Mary Janes would be fabulous with a structured bag. For a more laid back vibe, denim rompers are the new cool kid on the block. They work well with this bedeviled hot weather to keep you looking cool like a cat. This romper look can be accessorised with converse or sneaks

in white or pop the look with red hightops. Dungarees are another denim option for the hippies, boho styles and errands. A trendy blouse or shirt in plaid, a peasant top or thin strap crop top under the dungrees will upgrade your 70s vibe. Bring the entire look to the present era with a unique pair of brogues. As there is a style out there for every girl in denim, it is perfect to explore your inner rock star.

here is nothing more painful for a woman to see her front hair receding. It gives you an awful look when you want to wear your natural hair after being on braids or weaves for a long time. The culprit of thinning edges is usually linked to the styles we wear and or chemical damage. Braids, braid extensions, weaves and really tight ponytails have a habit of pulling the hair and putting too much strain on the follicles. Over time, if the hair is continuously being pulled, this will lead to permanent damage, so always keep an eye out for this. Relaxers or chemical treatments will also aid in weakening the hair further so if you are noticing thinning hair lay off all forms of chemical hair treatments. . Here are steps to take to grow your edges back and get back your healthy natural hair: Avoid any styles that put too much tension on this area. Stop continuously slicking your hair back into too tight bun. Avoid braiding your edges because this is entirely too much tension if you are noticing a thinning issue. You should probably stay away from braids but if you must for whatever reason, leave this section of your hair out. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get your hair done right to the edges; you can keep the edges tidy with gel and water every day. Constant wearing of tiny braids puts a lot of tension on the hair and it leads to thinning. Give your hair the chance to breathe by giving it at least a couple of days before braiding or doing anything to it. Reduce the amount of time you come into contact and manipulate your

edges Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important that you stick to a low manipulation routine which means: avoid combing, brush, touching or picking at this area. The more you leave it alone, the more it will flourish. Pamper this area with moisture and nourishment Deep condition your hair before braiding and also wash and condition it once you take the braid or weave off. Moisturise and oil your hair after shampooing. Moisturise and oil this area regularly. Emu Oil, Shea butter and Castor Oil are popular products for thinning edges and are said to stimulate hair growth.

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Post-Gym Polishing: Look your best after workout

dude OF THE WEEK

Richard Mofe Damijo Dapper and ageless

Vanessa Okwara

f you’re spending time at a gym religiously, then your skin is definitely paying the price. A quick rinse with water and soap will not suffice your post workout skincare regime. So, while you’re taking care of your body at the gym, it’s essential you take care of your skin after a workout session. It’s actually more important to wash your skin after than before working out since oils, bacteria, and sweat have accumulated on the skin. Ensure you look your best after giving your all at the gym by following this changing room routine. Cool off A guy has larger pores than a woman, therefore your skin is naturally prone to being oilier. Start by rinsing off your face with cold water. Wash

right after a workout to avoid buildup of any bacteria. In order to keep dirt, sweat and grime from sticking to your face, use a body wash with built-in moisturiser instead of your usual soap. Also, keep showers no longer than 5-7 minutes because frequent long showering removes the natural lipid barrier of the skin allowing it to dry out. Seal the deal by moisturising Seal the deal by moisturising your body thoroughly. Always apply moisturising cream when your skin is still damp and be sure to be liberal on your arms and legs as well. It keeps the cells from drying out, improves your skin’s appearance and protects against environmental damage. This is why you should use a moisturiser with SPF properties. Pay special attention to the skin around your eyes. Regular use of

a good quality moisturiser can help keep those wrinkles from forming and reduce the appearance of those fine lines under your eyelids. Hydrate Drink plenty of water after your workout. Hydration is easy to remember while you’re in the gym, but post gym is when hydration is extremely important. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day will keep your skin healthy by flushing off the toxins that start building up in your body as you exercise. Avoid Athlete’s Foot To avoid athlete’s foot, wear sandals or flip-flops that allow your feet to breathe after a workout. Also dry your feet thoroughly after showering, especially between the toes where the fungus likes to take hold.

Richard Mofe Damijo, popularly known as RMD is a seasoned actor and politician. He started off acting and then proceeded to hold public office in his state, Delta as a former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism. Richard was born in Warri, to a family of 18; he passed through his Primary and Secondary education at Anglican Grammar school where he was a devoted member of a drama group. He enrolled into the University of Benin to continue his education and studied Theatre Arts. In 1997 Mofe-Damijo returned to the university to study law at the University of Lagos and graduated in 2004. After graduating from the university, Mofe-Damijo took part in a television soap opera in the late 80’s called Ripples. Before then, he had a stint with Concord Newspapers and Metro Magazine as a reporter. Out of Bounds was the first film for which he received a writer/producer credit. In 2005 at the maiden edition of the African Movie Academy Awards Mofe-Damijo won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Mofe-Damijo was married to the late May Ellen Ezekiel, a foremost Nigerian journalist popularly known as MEE. After MEE’s death in 1996, Mofe-Damijo married again in 2000 to his wife, Jumobi. The couple has four children together. Richard is a blend of the ageless; a unique feel of the early ‘90s as well as the pop culture craze of the 21st century. At 54, his handsome rugged look is ever fresh and he is always good to go with savvy styles on many red carpet events around the country.

NEW TELEGRAPH SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

Body&Soul

RazzleDazzle

Abiola Alaba Peters

with

08062622328 abiolaalabapeters@rockmail.com

Nigerian entertainers speak on Gender Equality Bill On March 15, 2016, the Nigerian Senate rejected the Gender Equality Bill. The bill which was introduced by a female senator from the South West was aimed at bridging the gap between the rights of men and women in Nigeria. ABIOLA ALABA PETERS met with Mavin first lady, Tiwa Savage; EME boss, Banky W, and other top Nigerian entertainment stakeholders who bared their mind on the bill that lawmakers claimed was thrown out because of constitutional violations

Kemi Adetiba

Banky W

’m sad that in 2016 we don’t think that men and women should have equal rights. I know some people said they have some issues with the wording of it, but I don’t think that’s enough reason to put it down. I think hopefully, they will keep coming back to that bill in the way that it should be passed because it’s very sad that in 2016, a country that claims to be the giant of Africa, which claims to be progressive, is still discussing whether men and women deserve equal rights. It’s just sad.

hat do you think? Do you think a man and a woman should have equal right? I think that’s a no brainer. It’s so sad that we even have to have a bill for me as a woman to have equal rights with, not necessary a man, but my fellow human being. It’s a shame that we even have to ask that question or think of a bill to be passed in the Senate for me to be able to have

Ubi Franklyn

Timi Dakolo

Tiwa Savage

e are human beings and I don’t think that there are verses in the Bible where God said man and woman are not equal. It’s just that when you are married, the man has to respect the woman and so it is for the woman. So in terms of Gender Equity, I don’t know the context from which they are coming from, but I think both sexes are equal. A woman can rule me. I posted something on my Instagram and a lot of women really liked it, so for me I am not against the bill.

TY Bello

ell, I think the time for equal rights has come and it’s good that people are voicing out their opinion. It’s a different generation and people don’t think things and keep it to themselves anymore and that’s the only way progress can be made.

his is a very deep question and I really decline to talk about it. I have a very strong opinion about it, I really want to wait for the right avenue to talk about it, believe me. I don’t think this is the time to talk because I have a lot to say about it.

Bovi

hat’s a very dense matter which I really wouldn’t want to talk about. In Africa, a woman has her place, let’s just leave it at that. In my family, the man is the man and the woman is the woman, that’s all I can say.

Foluke Daramola

’m sorry I don’t think men and women should have equal rights in this case. I think the male should have more than the female, but it should be with proportion, maybe on a ratio of 60 to 40. My reason is that women tend to be extremely domineering when it comes to issues and sometimes sentimental. Men can be detailed, even though we are sometimes, but at the end of the day, if a woman has equal rights with the man, automatically, you are saying that the man can marry two wives and the woman can also marry two husbands. So, there are proportions to all these things. Don’t forget that there are some positions that a man can occupy that women can’t. The role of a man can never be over emphasised. If you are trying to equate me as the wife and my husband as the man, you will find that, there tend to be disaster in the family. Even though I’m a woman rights activist, I still believe that the man is supposed to be a step ahead of the woman, you can never take that away.

o be honest, I don’t think a man and a woman deserve equal rights; I think the women deserve more rights than the men. Genetically, men are stronger, so you need to empower the women. When you take it from Adam, men have always been favoured. If you look at it in a way, women play a very key role in every society. As a matter of fact, they said if you take a very good look at today, the country that has progressed in the last 30 years have empowered women. So men and women shouldn’t have equal rights, women deserve more because men will always find their way.

About Platinum Entertainment’s latest project

latinum Entertainment Nigeria Limited is all set to launch a unique pageant show tagged, Belle of African Nations (BOAN) initiative, which is the first Pan-African socio-cultural Pageant that aims at identifying with the unforgettable legacies of African historical heroines. Ahead of the launch scheduled to hold today at the Lagoon Restaurant, Lagos, the founder of the BOAN initiative, Olayinka Edu, highlighted the aim and objectives of the project. According to her, the project is primarily aimed at empowering women by

building responsible leadership abilities and skills towards nation building. She promised that BOAN will also foster intercultural relations and uphold the Pan-African ideals, thus making eventual winners across the participating African countries role models for young girls and teens. BOAN is one of its kind pageants that looks beyond beauty. “We are celebrating brains and use the medium to promote peace and unity in Africa as well as to ensure cross cultural integration in the Continent. The African history is retold to showcase the various

hidden treasures in Africa. “It is an international pageant initiated to be organised amongst franchise owner countries in celebration of African heroines, culture and heritage. It promises to unveil and celebrate the beauty in our cultural diversity, honouring the past and building the future. It is an empowerment for women,” she said. The main show premieres in December 2016, with the theme: Heroine in the midst of Heroes. Madame Efunroye Tinubu (M.E.T) will be the focus of this edition; her symbol is to be crafted as the

crown symbol for the eventual winner. Madame Efunroye Tinubu- Heroine in the midst of Heroes, authored by Olayinka Edu, will be launched same day with musical/dance-drama performance from excerpts of the book. Belle Social Development Initiative (BSDI), a nonprofit NGO, an offshoot of BOAN, will be driving the course of ‘M.E.T FOR THE GIRLCHILD’ this will be empowering the girl child through free distributions of 3million copies of the book to secondary school girls ages 12-17.

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 NEW TELEGRAPH

Body&Soul

Dangote is my celebrity crush – Sylvya Oluchy Beautiful Sylvya Oluchy is one of the faces that have made remarkable progress in the short period she has been in the Nollywood industry. She won the Most Promising Act of the Year award at the 2013 Best of Nollywood Awards and has gone ahead to win several others. In this chat with VANESSA OKWARA, she opens up on how her mother influenced her acting career and the desire to get married soon Brief background My parents are both from Aguata LGA in Anambra State. I was born and raised in Abuja. I am the youngest of six children. However, I attended nursery and half of primary school in Finchley, London. My Secondary school was at the School for the Gifted in Gwagwalada, Abuja. I am a Theatre Arts graduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University and I attended film school at the Art Institute of Dallas. What was growing up like? Growing up was fun. I was attached and close to my mother being the youngest child. I recall being teased a lot because of my accent on returning from the UK. My classmates bullied me, saying ‘why are you speaking funny?’ However I had tons of fun growing up. We travelled a lot and my parents were always there for us. Have you always wanted to be an actress? As a little girl, I never wanted to be an actor. I was science inclined and nerdy while growing up. However, when we re-

turned to Nigeria and the bullying started, I didn’t have a lot of friends because I didn’t fit in. So when I got home, I would demonstrate and imitate all my teachers and classmates to my mother and she would say continuously, ‘You’ll make a great actor someday’. I grew up hearing this and it slowly seeped into my subconscious. When the time to enroll into the university came, my mother said, ‘Try Theatre Arts if you don’t like it, you can switch’. I entered the university and from my first day on stage, I fell in love with art and the rest is history as they say. When did you make the big decision to join Nollywood? And which year did you officially debut? I decided to join Nollywood when I entered the university. During the holidays, I would go to Enugu and audition for movie roles; I got a few small roles then too. However, I moved to Lagos after my NYSC in 2011 and took up acting full time since then. Were both parents in support of your chosen career? I lost my m o t h e r in 2006. My dad wasn’t overly e x cited

about my choice of study in the university but after he watched my first movie, he became sold on the idea and has been my biggest supporter ever since. Mention some of the movies you’ve acted. Bent Arrows, On Bended Knees, Lekki Wives, Being Mrs. Elliot, Losing Control, Duplicity and so many others. As an actress, would you be involved in scenes that have to do with heavy romance -like kissing and bedroom scenes? It all depends on the script and the director, the relevance of the scene to the overall story telling; how tasteful the director will be in the execution of such a scene. What of acting nude? Would you do it and what can make you accept such roles? Same rule applies. It depends on the script in question and the director. Since joining the industry, have you had issues of sexual harassment from producer/director in the industry? It happens in every sector of the economy not just entertainment. It requires you not being desperate and able to walk away. You must weigh the pros and cons and make the best decision that satisfies your selfinterest. However, it’s something I hope as a people we can sanitize and purge society of the ailment. As a young girl growing up, can you recall when you had your first kiss? Do you still keep in touch with the guy? Some things are better left unsaid. However, I maintain a healthy and friendly relationship with most of my exs. Do you

believe in love at first sight and have you ever experienced it? Yes I do. Perhaps, not at first sight per se but I believe you can feel so strongly about a person and have a deep connection after just one date or a few hours of knowing someone. Yes, I’ve experienced it but don’t ask me with whom. Who is your celebrity man crush, both in Nigeria and abroad? My celebrity crush is not a celebrity in the sense of the word I think you mean. I’ve always been attracted to nerdy guys and I l i k e Elon Musk

and the Google guys, Brin Sergey and Larry Page. Dangote is my Nigerian celebrity crush. You were once quoted to have said that you are yet to fall in love. Has that changed in recent times? No. Nothing has changed. I’m still looking for my other half. I am not in a relationship at the moment. I would love to get married soon however. What are the qualities you expect from your man? I adore men with high IQ, sense of humour and most importantly, a man who is slow to judge others but tries to see the good in everyone. Physically, I like men who work out and take good care of their bodies and hygiene. Describe your fashion style. My fashion style keeps evolving and changing. I am not a creature of habit and routine. I like different styles at different moments in time. However, I am and will always be a team natural when it comes to my hair because my hair is my crown and I’m proud of the way God made it. I like a touch of Ankara here and there for that Afrocentric vibe and I love bright bold colours. What kind of clothes make up your wardrobe? I wear more dresses than anything else. They say if you want to be dressed, buy a dress! I love dresses and skirts over trousers. I’m kind of girly like that. I own lots of heels, handbags and accessories. What’s your beauty routine? I work out a lot. I love to keep fit. I switch my workouts between yoga, boxing, swimming, jogging and going to the gym. I drink lots of water, eat fruits and vegetables daily. For my hair and skin, I swear by coconut oil. Beauty I believe shines best from the inside out. You are what you eat. Your favourite accessories? Earrings are my least favourite accessory ironically. Rings and neck pieces are my best. What is your passion? I have a couple of things I’m very passionate about. The first is acting. I’m also passionate about technology because science was my first love. I love the way technology has shaped and changed the world today. Mention some of the awards you’ve won. They are: Most Promising Actress at Best of Nollywood Awards, 2013; Best Rising Star at Nollywood Movies Awards, 2012 and Best New Actress at City People Entertainment Awards, 2012. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? I see myself married with a child. I would have produced my own movie by then and risen to great heights in my career. Describe Sylvia in three words. Kind, creative and ambitious.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016

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FRSC’s 5 years validity Driver’s Licence ready soon –Oyeyemi p.44

Interview

News

We have exclusive access to jobs individuals can’t find through online search – Odushola

Lagos Motor Fair: PAN showcases made in Nigeria vehicles p.47

p.45

Business

Paul Ogbuokiri Head, Business

paulogbuokiri@newtelegraph

Brent oil set for biggest monthly gain in 7 years

L-R: Managing Director, Globe Motors, Victor Oguamalam; General Manager, Globe Motors, Mohan Wasnani; and Head, Vehicle and Asset Finance, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Ifeanyi Ogbor, at the announcement of Stanbic IBTC Bank’s partnership with Globe Motors on a vehicle financing scheme, in Lagos ...on Thursday

Nigeria’s ease of doing business index status erodes investors’ confidence – Experts

Paul Ogbuokiri

igeria is positioned at 169th out of 189 countries in the World Bank’s ease of doing business report, one spot above its previous position. In light of this ranking, the World Bank has proposed some strategies for Nigeria to help it improve. The most recent ease of doing business index came out in October 2015 and has a forward looking evaluation, basically a guide for investors for this year. This also came after the Lagos State governmentearly this month revealed its Lagos Global website to provide investment services to stakeholders to encourage foreign direct investment and the ease of doing business. Coming at a time the Federal Government is desirous to diversify its economy away from oil, experts say the country must improve on its ranking on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business index if it hopes to attract meaningful foreign investment to the economy, experts have said. Experts say the situation would discourage investors

from establishing their businesses in Nigeria. According to the Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Plc, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, the rating of Nigeria at the bottom of the ladder of Easy of Doing business is not good for the country’s quest to attract investment in the nonoil sector of the economy. He noted that the most important problem the country is facing remains infrastructure challenge, “because you need power to maintain your ICT platforms and keep them working. Most of the reforms instituted by governments at the State and Federal levels will reflect more on ease of doing business in the country when the country becomes able to transact most of its businesses online,” he said The Head Corporate Finance and Subsidiaries of Futureview, Tochukwu Nkemakolam, noted that reforms instituted by the Federal and state government, have not impacted on ease of doing business, saying lot more need to be done to make the country investment-friendly. The report launched in Abuja by the World Bank, in

conjunction with its development partners, showed that Nigeria recorded remarkable improvement in 34 vital thematic requirements. Some of these requirements, according to the report, include easy access to fund transfer, improved access to credit information, implementation of regulatory reform and tax holidays for outstanding entrepreneurs. Other requirements that have reportedly improved Nigeria’s performance on the ease of doing business scale are the government’s cashless policy and the lifting of some socioeconomic burdens on various categories of businesses. Surprisingly, Rwanda is ranked topmost in Africa on

The country must improve on its ranking on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business index if it hopes to attract meaningful foreign investment to the economy

the Ease of Doing Business index, and 32nd globally Sunday Telegraph learnt that it takes an average of 33 days to start a business in Nigeria. The steps include: Reserve a unique company name at the Corporate Affairs Commission, four days; Prepare the requisite incorporation documents and pay the stamp duty, seven days; Notarize the declaration of compliance with the requirements of CAMA (CAC 4), one day; Register at the Corporate Affairs Commission and Pay the fees at the bank desk of CAC, 11 days; Make a company seal, one day; Register for income tax and VAT at the Federal Board of Inland Revenue Department of the Ministry of Finance, four days; Register for personal income tax PAYE at the State Tax Office, four days; and Register business premises with the Lagos State Government and Pay the business premises levy at a designated bank, one day. In Rwanda it takes just two days to start a business: Day one, Pay registration fee, and on day two, check company name, submit registration apCO N T I N U E D O N PAGE 44

rent crude was heading for its biggest monthly rise in seven years on Friday, touching 2016 highs as a weak dollar and falling U.S. production tempered concerns about an excess of physical oil. A looming rise in Middle East output capped gains, but investor sentiment held the optimism that has helped lift oil futures nearly 80 percent higher than January lows. Brent futures LCOc1 were trading at $48.26 a barrel at 1351 GMT (0951 EDT), up 12 cents from their last close. U.S. crude CLc1 was up 57 cents at $46.60 a barrel, with both contracts hitting 2016 highs earlier in the session. Investment bank Jefferies said the market “is coming into better balance” and would flip into undersupply in the second half of the year. But others warned that the rally was happening too soon, driven in large part by investors taking speculative positions. “The issue is that we haven’t seen price rallies ... correlate with fundamentals,” said Hamza Khan, senior commodity strategist at ING. “The fundamentals - high stocks, high production - haven’t changed.”

Kachikwu

Union Bank floats savings scheme for 11 northern states

he Union Bank of Nigeria PLC on Thursday floated a savings scheme that would help support the economic transformation and growth of the 11 states in northern region of the country. The scheme tagged ‘UnionKorrect-DaiDai’ targets about 30,000 indigent people in each of the 11 states of the region to help redress the economic hardship in the area, especially among low income earners. The chairman of the initiative, Arasaratnam Sheahan, said in Gombe State at the official launching of the scheme, that it was conceived as a strategic initiative to transform the people’s saving culture. The states expected to benefit from the scheme are Gombe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Sokoto, Taraba, Jigawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Gombe and Zamfara. “The scheme will help the common man to save at least N1, 000 per month with the assurance of earning cash benefits from the saving every quarter,” Sheahan explained. He said the first phase of the scheme, which would last for two years, has an open period of six months from the time of official launching for over 900 beneficiaries to enrol expected to receive cash benefits within the period of the programme.

SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Business

National Shipping line: Ex-Minister backs Amaechi’s committee

L-R: Zonal Sales Manager, PAN Nigeria, Suleiman Suleiman; Head of Marketing, PAN Nigeria, Shepuya Icha; and Head, Corporate Communication, PAN Nigeria, Nura Maska, at the PAN Nigeria stand at the ongoing 11th Lagos Motor Fair at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos

FRSC’s 5 years validity Driver’s Licence ready soon –Oyeyemi

Paul Ogbuokiri

he Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has said drivers would soon have an option of a five years validity licence or the three-year licence currently in use. Corp Marshal of the Commission, Mr. Boboyi Oyeyemi told motoring journalists in an interactive in Lagos last weekend that the approval for the agency to commence issuance

of five-year validity licence was given by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) at its 134th meeting in Kano recently. His words: “The Board has approved an optional validity period for Drivers Licence of three and five years respectively at different costs to provide more efficient and effective service delivery to its customers.” He also said that FRSC has promised to provide Number Plates Within five working days of placing a request by any

state so that no state runs out of Number Plates. This is coming as the Board has agreed to pursue vigorously an increase in the number of individual taxpayers in their database by 10 million before December 31, 2016 bringing the total to 20 million individual taxpayers. In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, with the theme “The Imperatives of Transitioning from Oil Revenue Dependency to Non-Oil Revenue

Sufficiency”, JTB stressed the need for a collaboration effort between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and State Internal Revenue Service (SIRS) towards harnessing full generation of tax revenue to cushion the effect of the dwindling fortune of oil revenue for economic sustainability of the country. The Communique was signed by the Chairman of JTB, Tunde Fowler and Secretary, JTB, M.L Abubakar respectively.

Nigeria’s ease of doing business index status erodes investors’ confidence – Experts CON TINUED FR O M PAGE 43

plication and obtain certificate of incorporation Meanwhile, Managing Director of BGK Exhibition Limited, organizers of Abuja Motor Fair, Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Agwu, says the high cost of operating businesses in the country, makes it difficult for SMEs and even large companies to compete favourably with their counterparts in other emerging markets. This high cost includes financial, social and regulatory costs, he said. “It must be said that these costs have far-reaching implications because they make the growth of SMEs to large-scale enterprises difficult, especially in the absence of government intervention. They also invariably limit the lifespan of these businesses and reduce their ability to keep pace with innovation,” Agwu said. But the World Bank Group has stated that

most states across Nigeria have continued to implement regulatory business reforms, with Cross River, Ekiti, Niger, Ogun, and Rivers making the biggest stride. According to the World Bank report on business climate, challenges and hurdles to local entrepreneurs have persisted in the country’s business climate. The report tagged ‘Doing Business in Nigeria 2015’ found that there was room to learn from each other, with good practices being implemented in some parts of the country that can benefit other states if applied. The report further said that the 36 Nigerian states in addition to Abuja, FCT were benchmarked in the entire study. The report covers four indicators including: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, registering property, and enforcing contracts. The report finds that 22 states have improved in at least one of the areas mea-

sured since the last benchmarking exercise in January 2010. The findings show big strides achieved in the past few years by some states. Ogun, one of the lowest ranked overall performers in both 2008 and 2010, is one of the top reforming states in 2015. A concerted effort across federal and state authorities, and in collaboration with the private sector, helped improve Ogun on three of the four indicators benchmarked. The report also finds that most of the reforms documented focused on streamlining the complexity and cost of regulatory processes. One-stop centers have improved the time to issue a building permit in Rivers, Delta, and Oyo, in some cases dropping by 50 per cent or more since 2010. Findings show that the case management provisions introduced by Ekiti’s new civil procedure rules in 2011 helped reduce average trial time by nine months. Data shows that states continued

to digitize land records and introduce geographical information systems making property registration more secure and efficient. Despite these improvements, challenges persist, with no single state ranking at the top on all indicators. For instance Abuja, FCT and Lagos are among the top performing states on the ease of starting a business, but rank in the bottom two positions on the ease of dealing with construction permits. Similarly, Sokoto and Osun rank two and three in dealing with construction permits, but 30 and 33 in starting a business, respectively. Additionally, the study revealed that Nigerian entrepreneurs face different regulatory hurdles, depending on where they establish their businesses. Varied state regulations and practices along with uneven implementation of federal legislation drive these differences and impact local entrepreneurs differently.

ormer Minister of Interior and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) gubernatorial flagbearer in the last general election, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, has thrown his weight behind the committee set up by the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi to examine the propriety of establishing a new national shipping line by the Federal Government. Capt. Iheanacho, who is also the Chairman, Integrated Oil & Gas and Genesis Worldwide Shipping, said this yesterday in a statement signed by the company’s manager in-charge of media relations and corporate affairs, Mr. Enyeribe Anyanwu. He further refuted alleged report in a maritime journal, Ships & Ports, which reported him as saying that the ‘planned national carrier is a waste of resources. He noted that the story was mischievously contrived to portray him as being against the minister of transport and the federal government policy initiatives. The statement reads in parts: “My attention has been drawn to a story published by Ships & Ports Daily of Wednesday April 27, 2016 entitled: “Ihenacho to Amaechi: Planned national carrier is a waste of resources” and hereby, react as follows: “At no time did I grant Ships & Ports any interview to this effect and therefore disown all the attributions made in the report.” Capt. Iheanacho further said that it will be uncharitable to dismiss the Ministerial Committee and describe their work as a waste of time and resources when they are yet to complete their work and turn in their report. He said irrespective of what he feels about government establishing a new national carrier or if he holds contrary opinion to that of the minister, he will not make his feelings known on the pages of newspapers or seek to rubbish the efforts and thinking of the Minister as the alleged story seeks to portray. “I, therefore, denounce this mischievous story and sound a note of caution to Ships & Ports to refrain from creating unnecessary impression of opposition and animosity where none exists in the name of exclusive stories,” he saidOn complaints by operators about lack of rules of engagement on Value Added Services (VAS) provision, the EVC said concerns across the broad spectrum of telecommunications sector and progress of the industry would be addressed by clarifying the rules of engagement between operators, consumers and the regulator. Amaechi

Fish farmer emerges star winner in Astymin promo Appolonia Adeyemi

fish farmer, Mr. Oladipo Ojeyinka has emerged star winner in the ongoing Astymin Get Alert Promo after his number was randomly selected amongst all participating entries for the month of March. Oladipo, who thrives on fish, livestock, and beehive farming to feed his family, was visibly elated at the news of his emergence as the winner and could hardly hold back his unending accolades for the brand. He became the second star-winner in the promo, which had earlier produced a Microfinance Banker, Mr. Michael Irabor as the first star-winner for the month of February. Recounting his experience while participating in the promo, Oladipo admitted that he had to pray for God’s favour before sending the entry code because he frantically needed the expected cash reward in order to take care of some urgent family demands. “When I wanted to send the entry code, I prayed and told God that if this Promo is true, He should please let me be the winner because I really needed the money to pay for my children’s schools fees. Business has not really been too smooth this period because of the situation of the country and it’s about that time I pay their school fees. So the money came at the very right time,” he said. He also expressed gratitude to the company for the cash reward, saying the brand has delivered beyond expectations, on his family’s health and wellbeing. “In fact, this is a double blessing for my family because, while we are still enjoying the benefits of the product on our health, the company decided to put smiles on our faces with this N100, 000,” he said.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016

Business/ INTERVIEW

Elizabeth Odushola is a Human Relations professional and a consultant at BASS & Co. In this interview with PAUL OGBUOKIRI, she says she provides guidance on how to improve the robustness of recruitment processes by the use of psychometric testing and competency based interview processes How did you manage your career in Qatar? In Qatar, I was providing advice and support on a wide variety of human resources issues both remotely and on site for the Qatari Government. As well as drafting contracts and handbooks, I worked with government institutions to develop implementation plans to introduce new contracts and policies. I also resolved performance issues, managed disciplinary and grievance meetings and assisting with day to day HR queries such as maternity rights and flexible working. What’s BASS & Co. all about and how do you work? BASS & Co. is for SMBs, with little or no in-house HR expertise, we are their outsourced HR department. We enable business owners to be more systematic and strategic about the role that people play in the success of a company. By helping our clients control expenses, minimize risk exposure and maximize their opportunities for revenue generation we help SMBs succeed by taking care of the things that could be distracting them from the bigger picture. We view our role in the recruitment process as one of partnership with an SMB to find the best person to fulfil their needs and to a jobseeker to secure the role best matching their search criteria. We support both applicant and employer throughout the whole recruitment cycle, remaining flexible at all times. We have various approaches within our recruitment department; the approach used depends on the assignment agreed with the client. In general, we develop a profile for the job opportunity, a shortlist of candidates is drawn up by our recruitment associates who have selected candidates from our database or selected individuals that have emailed their Curriculum Vitae to us following a job opportunity we announced. Following our screening and selection procedure we then forward the selected candidates for a final interview with our client. What’s the advantage of using BASS & Co.? The operational procedures of BASS & Co. ensure we have a strong relationship with clients, therefore enabling us to offer candidates detailed information regarding the organisation and opportunity available before an interview. We work with our candidates to prepare them for their final interview by offering advice and providing them with information on the history and culture of our client’s organisation. BASS & Co. is here to sell their candidature in the screening stages and is there to negotiate on the candidate’s behalf if they succeed to the later stages of an interview. BASS & Co. has exclusive access to a number of jobs individuals may not find through an online search. There are numerous advantages, however, we would like candidates to know that it is important to use BASS & Co. as part of their search rather than depend on them solely to secure a position. In regards to our clients, as well as

We have exclusive access to jobs individuals can’t find through online search – Odushola advertising our vacancies as necessary, irrespective of the job we are recruiting for, we invariably use search and selection techniques to ensure we find the best person for the job. Recruitment agencies tend to only provide this extra service for their most senior vacancies and on a retained basis. In addition to this, we are very flexible in our approach and where skills are in particularly short supply. Not only do we think outside the box and constantly think about how we will do things better or in a more creative way for clients, we also focus a tremendous amount on our candidates. When clients ask us for ideas on how we tackle difficult recruitment problems e.g. sourcing candidates in a very tight market, we have come up with some very creative suggestions, many of which we implement. We have done this time and time again for a wide range of clients in Nigeria’s diverse market sectors, who all have one thing in common: a need for employees with the right skills to effectively contribute to the success of their organisation. How can one get a CV on your database? If an individual is interested in using BASS & Co. as part of their career search and would like to be considered as a BASS & Co. Recruitment Candidate when suitable job vacancies arise, they are required to email their CV to cv@bassandco.com.ng. Once a recruitment associate has reviewed their credentials, if their qualifications and experience appear to meet our needs, we will make contact with the individual to arrange a BASS & Co. Recruitment Database Interview. Following the successful interview discussing their background and career goals we then add the individual to our database and then contact the individual when potentially suitable job opportunities arise. Can a job seeker sign with more than one recruitment agency? Of course! There is nothing to stop a job-seeker using more than one agency. In fact, this way they have access to more job vacancies. However, jobseekers should ensure their CV is not submitted to the same employer for the same position by more than one recruitment agency. We advise against this because duplications of your CV can make a job-seeker look like they are desperate to get a job rather than appearing selective and professional. It is best for candidates to always ask their recruitment agency representative to inform them of when they have forwarded their CV to any client and the jobseeker should keep a note of the organisation name and the date their details were submitted. Looking at the employment sector in Nigeria, we believe that registering with recruitment agencies is definitely about balance. A candidate should take the approach of ensuring they have signed up with enough recruitment agencies where they will secure work, while making sure the amount of recruitment agency relationships they have is manageable. Does a Job seeker have to pay to sign up to Bass & co or any recruitment agency? We cannot speak on behalf of the other recruitment agencies in Nigeria, BUT to sign up to BASS & CO., NO! In general, a recruitment agency should not charge you to hold your CV on their database. What type of organisations does BASS & Co. tend to recruit for? We have expert recruitment knowledge

Odushola

for the following industries; Trades & Services, Hospitality & Tourism, Administration & Office Support, Media & Creative, Marketing & PR, Sales, Retail & Consumer Products, Real Estate & Property, Legal, Education & Training, Accounting, Call Centre & Customer Service, HR & Recruitment, Sports & Recreation and Domestic. How do you select the candidates that go forward for Job interviews? BASS & Co.’s Recruitment Selection Process is meticulous. Recruitment associates assigned to the ‘new client assignment’ attend a ‘briefing’, the briefing aids recruitment associates in understanding the selection criteria for the position and outline the competency areas on which each recruitment associate should focus. As a team, recruitment associates develop interview questions based on selection criteria and competencies prior to contacting suitable candidates. All selected candidates are crosschecked by all associates involved in the assignment and then contacted for client interviews. Our process may seem rigorous, however, a rigorous candidate selection process will, in most cases, assure a skilled employee. Can you give an idea about your communication methods on feedback with your job seekers and how often? We contact our candidates via telephone and email during every step of our recruitment process. Especially when we have something important to discuss, like interview details or offer negotiations. We also send our candidates quick updates on their status throughout the recruitment process. While brief communication is efficient, job seekers are looking for more from a recruitment agency– they want a relationship. Of course, it’s unrealistic and ill-advised to form relationships with every candidate before our clients commit to hiring them, but it is important to start making efforts in that direction with top contenders as early as we can. We communicate with candidates about their interview performance on the spot, letting them know where they did well and how they can improve. We do this because

we care about their skills and professional growth, even if it turns out they are not the best match for the specific position we are looking to fill. Do you have any positions that match any job preferences? Yes, we recruit for as many entry level positions as well as experience-required positions Which skills make it suitable for a jobseeker? Aside from the personal skills such as communication, motivation and negotiation skills, candidates should have a high level of literacy, numeracy and computer skills. In BASS & Co., are you easy with “Being Liberal with the Truth” i.e- some consultants says it’s fine to lie during an interview or on your cv or about your personal history? If you asked me this question a few years ago, I would have answered yes. Today, my answer is a firm NO! Without strict selection guidelines in recruitment, there is one thing that you can always count on; there will always be candidates whose CVs are not 100% truthful. It is not acceptable to lie during an interview. I have learned, it is not about the lie itself, it is about the attitude towards lying - and it should not be tolerated. My advice to candidates is rather than claiming a job title you do/did not have, if you feel your job description warranted a different job title to that which you officially had, discuss this with your former employer so they would not discredit you during a reference check. BASS & Co.’s best advice for candidates is to be honest no matter how initially unappealing it might seem. The advice we offer to our clients who have a in-house recruitment department but use our other HR services, is to be suspicious and examine everything. For an employer, there is nothing worse than investing time, training, money and care into somebody, only to find months, possibly years later that this individual is not the person they initially claimed to be.

SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Business

Amnesty: Innoson trains 200 ex-militants in automobile engineering

Paul Ogbuokiri he recent commissioning of the Education for Employment (E4E) Programme for Niger Delta Youths held in Nnewi by Innoson Kiara Academy in partnership with the Presidential Amnesty Office, turned out to be a veritable opportunity for the participants to laud the project and the important contribution of the motor company to its success.

Obviously satisfied with the high technical standards and proficiency that were the hallmark of activities at Innoson Group of companies, particularly Innoson Motor Manufacturing Company, over 200 ex-militants undergoing training at the auto plant as part of the E4E programme used the forum to call on government to establish factories like Innoson in the Niger Delta. The ex-militants were not alone in this demand, as the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Brig-Gen Paul T. Boro, also expressed strong belief that factories like the Innoson Motor Manufacturing and Plastic Manufacturing were needed in the Niger Delta to put a final stop to militancy in the area. The ex-militants also want the Federal Government to extend the duration of their training to one and half years in order to ensure that they are fully equipped with knowledge. One of them, Alero Gideon, said the nine months duration for their training was inadequate, noting that Innoson factory has a lot to offer to them if given the appropriate time. He said: “We commenced the training here in December 5 last year; in nine months we will not be able to achieve our goals. We are appealing to the Federal Government to make it at least one year, six months so that we can be able to learn all that we needed to know here and perform very well at the end of our training. “My team can assemble the vehicle skeleton, after that we take it to the spraying section, we have also done the theory of the work we are doing now.” Corroborating him another trainee, who spoke while the Presidential

Adviser was moving round the factory to see things for himself said: “We are at the welding section, if they can give us more time I believe we will achieve a lot here in Innoson Company. We also want them to build this kind of factory in Niger Delta areas.” For Brig-General Boro, who is also the Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, factories such as Innoson Motor and Innoson Plastic factories should be built in the Niger Delta. He said: “I actually said I want to see them engage in what I sent them to come and learn here, this great skills acquisition that has to do with automobile engineering, automobile mechanic, automobile electronic and others and when I was taken round the factory, I saw them actually assembling a vehicle, ensuring that the parts are well joined together, the welding is also well done to meet specifications. I saw them using gauge to measure the length and breadth of the window. I think I am satisfied with what they are learning here. “Let me tell you how the Innoson thing came about, when I took over the office I heard of trainings outside the country and to my mind, I think we can make use of our existing infrastructure within the country. So when Innoson approached me with the proposal of training the young men I was excited about it, so I immediately approved 200 of them to come and train at Innoson Company. That’s why I brought them here, so I really want to patronize our local industries.” Speaking of his impression after seeing the trainees in action at the factory, Boro said: “I will say my decision to bring these young men to Innoson is a worthy one because I interviewed the delegates and investigated the degree of their training and they all said they are happy with this place, and they will want a replica of this company (Innoson) in South-South part of the country that’s Niger Delta so that there will be more industries and factories in the Niger Delta. Some are training in manufacturing of plastic related items and some are learning automobile and I’ve been to this two places, I think it is perhaps now to have such thing like this replicated

in Niger Delta.” Addressing the delegates earlier during the commissioning ceremony, Boro noted that the Federal Government would save N5 billion at the end of the year when 7,000 delegates will be completing their programme. The Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Nkem Okeke, who was present at the ceremony, noted that the greatest challenge for the President Governors was how to get Nigerian youths gainfully employed. He said: “The state government is already partnering Innoson to provide a requisite knowledge to some of our youths who come here for some training. I can

see that this programme is more like an offshoot of what the state government is doing with Innoson. I thank the Chairman of Innoson Group for his efforts to partner with state government and partner with federal government.” Speaking on the deal with Innoson, the Head of Vocational Training of the Amnesty programme, Mr. Lewis Akio, said: “We got into partnership with Innoson for the company to train them on the processes of car making, assembling, maintenance and all of that. We sent out a list, we have a database of delegates who have not been trained because our mandate is to train about 35,

000 people. We got some of them, screened them to be sure they have the right attitude to come for a programme like this and of course they have the interest in the programme. “Once we have done that we brought them over to the trainer who profiles them and then send their names back to us. We have contact with some of them so that at intervals when we receive reports from the trainer that he has done a, b or c, we call them again to check that things are going well. We do receive monthly report from them and at interval we send a monitoring team to come here and check what they are doing.” Mr. Endi Ezengwa, the

CEO of Innoson Kiara Academy, while explaining how the training runs in the Academy, said: “When they came, the factory had various departments, various sections. As you are aware, production is done here from scratch to completion, what we have done is that we have broken them into different departments, those on welding, those on painting, those on mechanic part, those on electrical part of it as well. “After three, four months in the department, we now move them around according to what they want to do, so by nine months they would have learnt what they want to do in those sections.”

Special Adviser to the President on Niger-Delta and Coordinator Amnesty Programme, Brig-Gen Paul T. Boro, (howler hot) with some of the ex-militants

S/Africa’s Pick n Pay to expand into Nigeria

outh African supermarket operator Pick n Pay plans to expand into Nigeria next year through a partnership with a local conglomerate, as it seeks to reduce its reliance on its home market, it said on Tuesday. Pick n Pay already operates in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia and plans to open new stores in Ghana next year. Like many other South African companies it wants to expand further across the continent amid sluggish economic growth at home. The retailer, which reported a 26 per cent jump in annual earnings on Tuesday, said it would take a 51 percent stake in a Nigerian joint venture with conglomerate A.G. Leventis, which runs a food business. It did not disclose the

size of the investment. “We are not suddenly going to explode onto the scene in Nigeria next year but we are going to start the process of looking at all those things,” Pick n Pay’s CEO Richard Brasher told a results briefing, adding that he was aware of tough trading conditions in Nigeria and would not expand hastily. Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy but some South African companies that expanded into the west African country, including Dairy products maker Clover Industries and fashion retailer Truworths, have either pulled out or scaled down due to a scarcity of hard currency to import spare parts and raw materials. Brasher said Pick n Pay

was taking a long-term view of Africa’s most populous nation. “If you’re in the retail business and you are an African business its hard to ignore Nigeria,” he told Reuters. Gryphon Asset Management analyst Reuben Beelders said he backed Pick n Pay’s conservative approach to Nigeria. “People have realised that Africa is not just going to be a pot of gold at the end of the road, it’s a lot of graft and it’s going to need long-term investment rather than something that happens quickly,” Cape Town-based Beelders said. Pick n Pay has lost ground in South Africa to rivals such as market leader Shoprite, after failing to invest in new stores. But Brasher, a former UK head

of Tesco who took over in January 2013, is implementing a plan to win back market share. Pick n Pay said headline earnings per share (EPS) rose 26.4 per cent from a year earlier to 224.04 cents in the year to the end of February, helped by costcutting measures. Headline EPS, a measure that excludes certain one-off items, is the profit figure most widely used in South Africa. The company declared a final dividend of 125.20 cents per share, bringing the year’s total payout to 149.40 cents, 26.5 percent higher than the previous year. Shares in Pick n Pay, which are up nearly 30 percent over the last year, inched up 0.58 percent to 69.89 rand by 1215 GMT.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016

Auto beat

Lagos Motor Fair: PAN showcases made in Nigeria vehicles

Motoring tips

These tips can make you maintain safe driving

ome roadways are designated as low-speed zones. These might include roads in areas with high pedestrian traffic, such as school zones. Driving over the speed limit can put you and others at risk of harm — and costlier ticket penalties. Never pass a stopped school bus displaying a stop sign to its left; that’s a signal children may be crossing the street. If you hear a siren coming at you, it means there’s a police or fire truck near you that’s heading toward an emergency. If it’s safe, pull to the side, stop and wait until the vehicle goes by. Horn honking is reserved for emergencies. Try to avoid using your horn for other situations, such as frustration in traffic. Do, however, use it to alert a driver that may not see you. Completely stop at stop signs and look for other drivers and pedestrians before you cross, especially in areas you drive every day.

Do you have road rage?

Aggressive driving habits can threaten your safety, the safety of your passengers and others driving on the road. Many people experience some level of road rage while they travel on the road. Dealing with road rage and aggressive drivers involves patience and the ability to remain calm.

Buying a safe car

Paul Ogbuokiri aduna-based auto assembler, PAN Nigeria, is currently showcasing locally assembled vehicles at the on-going 11th Lagos Motor Fair holding at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, which began on Thursday and ends May 4. Some of the quality locally assembled Peugeot vehicles on display at the PAN stand include the newly unveiled Peugeot 508, the award winning 301 and the Expert Tepee, among other models. PAN’s Zonal Sales Manager in charge of South West, Sulieman A. Sulieman stated that in order to make the acquisition of new vehicles easier for prospective buyers, PAN has introduced the Peugeot Vehicle Acquisition Finance Scheme (PVAFS) currently going on with Access Bank, FCMB and JAIZ Bank. The Peugeot 301 is a silent power horse that is delivering all the ruggedness of the former 504 and at the same time giving more comfort and safety features. Available in three trims - Access, Active and Allure, the Peugeot 301 comes in two engine variants including 1.2 and 1.6 litre power plants. The 1.2 litre engine comes standard with manual transmission, while the 1.6 litre engine version is equipped with automatic transmission. Taking into consideration the tropical weather, Peugeot has ensured that all versions of 301 come with factory fitted air conditioning system, eve as the Allure version is equipped with electronic system.

When it comes to ground clearance, the car is not a push over, as ample ground clearance is provided so it can dominate all terrains, be it smooth or rough. Coming with a 15-inch alloy rim, and reinforced suspension, it fits perfectly on Nigerian roads. Also recently, at an exclusive gathering held in Abuja, the re-designed all-new Peugeot 508, 2016 was officially unveiled. The new 508 is the successor to the 508 2013 model, assembled in Nigeria, by all Nigerian staff, achieved 100 percent qual-

ity results comparable to Peugeot factory in France and in accordance to the global quality standard of the Peugeot brand. The Managing Director PAN Nigeria Mr. Ibrahim Boyi had said that the improved version is fully automated and has the highest standards in efficiency, emission and environmental compliance. PAN Nigeria, Kaduna markets the Peugeot 301, and other Peugeot models through its accredited dealers spread across the country, just as it does not compromise on quality after-sales services.

The safety of vehicles varies considerably, so it’s important to check the safety rating before you buy – the more stars the better. Whether you are buying a new, used or even your very first car, this information will help you make the best decision for your needs. The Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) provides independent and transparent advice and information on the level of occupant protection provided by vehicles in serious front and side crashes. Vehicles are awarded star ratings indicating the level of safety they provide in the event of a crash. The higher the ANCAP star rating the better the vehicle performed in the tests.

Globe Motors unveils auto finance scheme

n order to make vehicles ownership easier and stress free, frontline vehicles distributor and auto solutions provider, Globe Motors, has unveiled an Auto Finance campaign in collaboration with Stanbic IBTC bank. The scheme which has already taken off, and targeted at potential Hyundai customers, offers prospective buyers the opportunity to make as low as 10% down payment for any model of Hyundai and walk away with the car, with the balance payment spread over a 60 months period. Managing Director of Globe Motors, Mr. Victor Oguamalam, who led a team of Globe Motors officials and senior managers of Stanbic IBTC bank to brief the press at the Globe Motors showroom on Akin Adesola street, Victoria Island, Lagos, said the finance scheme was put together to offer convenience to customers. According to him: “We believe the collaboration of Globe Motors, providing quality products and services, Hyundai Manufacturing, producing highly acceptable vehicles,

and Stanbic IBTC, the leading auto finance provider in Nigeria, will be a success as the customer is the ultimate beneficiary”. He added that: “Because we recently added Hyundai to the other brands we already market, we decided to launch this campaign to ‘deserving and willing customers who want to own and drive Hyundai vehicles’”. The Managing Director said the campaign which is for an initial three months period, covers all models of Hyundai vehicles such as Hyundai Passenger, Commercial and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) such as Accent, Elantra, Sonata Santa Fe, etc. Oguamalam further stated that to access the finance scheme, all a customer needs do is to walk into any Stanbic IBTC bank nationwide or any Globe Motors showroom in any part of the country and effect the necessary documentations. Stanbic IBTS’s Head of Vehicle and Asset Finance (Personal and Business Banking), Ifeanyi Ogbor, added that his company believes in the credibility of Globe Motors and

with its over 10 years experience in auto financing in Nigeria, it is open to offer financing to corporate entities, small and medium businesses as well as individuals. He added that: “This is a great opportunity, coming with reduced interest rate, good prices from Globe Motors, and you can actually conclude the process without you coming to the bank, and Hyundai vehicles are widely used in Nigeria”. General Manager of Globe Motors, in charge of Hyundai brand, Mohan Wasnani in his submission, stated that Globe goes further to offer its customers warranty of three years or 100,000 kilometres for all models as well as free three services after purchase of the vehicle for all models. Globe Motors has over 30 years experience in the Nigeria auto market, while Hyundai is currently the fourth largest vehicle manufacturer in the world. Hyundai operates the world’s largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, South Korea, which has an annual production capacity of 1.6 million units.

SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Business

Automakers berate Senate over importation of N3.9bn SUVs

Paul Ogbuokiri he Nigerian Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA), has criticised the procurement of wholly imported SUVs instead of comparable locally assembled brands by the Upper Legislative Chamber as despicable and catastrophic to about 4000 jobs and roughly 50 ancillary industries currently engaged by the homegrown Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). NAMA made these reservations at a media conference in Lagos at the weekend, where it berated the Senate for impeding the growth of the local automotive industry. “The Senate could have saved suffering Nigerians 40 per cent of the eventual outlay and sustain at least, 50 medium scale enterprises, had it procured vehicles assembled by talented and diligent Nigerian workforce,” Mr. Tokunbo Aromolaran, Chairman of the Association reasoned. He noted that it was a rude

shock to learn of the decision of the Senate to procure imported fully built SUVs when much more affordable locally assembled alternatives were offered. The local media had lately been saturated with reports of procurement by the Senate of indefinite units of Toyota Land Cruiser VXR V8 SUVs valued at a whooping N3.9 billion. Also, agonising that the Senate, has, by this self-centred decision held down the automotive industry by, at least, four years, Mr. Aromolaran wondered if the Senate was aware of an official circular from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation mandating all government agencies to mandatorily procure made-in-Nigeria vehicles except if a locally made equivalent is not available. He, therefore, enjoined the Bureau of Public Procurement to beam its searchlight on the Senate to restraint her extremes so it doesn’t wander out of control. The NAMA Chairman em-

phasised the significance of the automotive industry to the Federal Government’s quest for a viable economic resource alternative to the plummeting oil value, remarking that the automotive industry has ample potential for growth. He commended the House of Representatives for embracing the OEMs products and driving locally assembled Peugeot vehicles and putting aside personal aggrandisement at a tough time like this. “They have by this action identified with the suffering of their brothers and families and essentially added value to our steel products, rubber extracts, glass sheets and plastics from our petrochemical plants,” the NAMA Chairman remarked. According to him, vehicle assemblies needed consistent patronage to increase capacity and expand their facilities to produce more units at affordable prices and gradually move towards global competitiveness and self-sustainability. Also speaking at the event, Managing Director, ANAMMCO Limited, Mr.

Maduabuchukwu Okeke, said, “We cannot overemphasise the need for government support, adding that the quality of our products compare to similar products manufactured in various plants worldwide.” Mr. Aderungboye Adewole of PAN Nigeria Limited said “We have invested a substantial part of our resources and we wish the Senate reverses her decision and consider locally assembled vehicles.” Similarly, Prakash Karat, Plant Head, Stallion NMN, manufacturers of Nissan highlighted the need for a dependable policy that could drive vehicle manufacturing and enhance sales, adding that local plants shouldn’t be struggling to sell their inventory when a larger percentage of the country’s population are youths. Other NAMA members in attendance are Dr. David Obi, Chairman, Motor Vehicles & Miscellaneous Assembly Sectorial Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and Mr. Babatunde Kolade, Consultant to ANAMMCO Ltd.

Firm partners Finland to provide electricity with sawdust Ezurike Ugochukwu

n an effort to bring succour to Nigerians, an indigenous company, Primewaterview Holdings and its subsidiary, Scott James Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Finish company, Nocart System, to use sawdust and other renewable energy sources to generate electricity in the country. At the recent event in Lagos, the Chairman, Primewaterview Group/Scott James Limited, Prince Adetunji Ogunwasi, said the agreement is a significant step to stem persistent power failures in Nigeria. He explained that the MoU is to exploit and establish other energy resources to complement and supplement the limited power generation and supply available in Nigeria, and to provide clean energy to various estates and installations across Nigeria. Commenting, the Commercial Director of Nocart System, Finland, Mr. Malcolm Oldham, who signed on behalf of the company, explained that Nigeria has got abundant natural potentials to produce power, such as sawdust, municipal wastes and etc. “There are a lot of wastes which in many aspects is not a good thing. But for us, it has value. We can produce power through them and at the same time help you remove wastes which otherwise clog around you,” he said. He commended the sagacity of Primewaterview Group/Scott James Limited for resolving to extend their hands for international partners. He further expressed Nocart’s willingness to work hard to achieve the dream such he said is their hallmark. Speaking to our reporter, Oldham said the choice of Lagos for the take-off was due to the abundant residue of sawdust around Lagos. “Sawdust is just part of our means of creating power. We can use any combustible material to create power. The sole reason for saw dust is because we have seen abundance of it around Lagos. For this primary reason, we will explore the opportunity. People have the right to know that We will amass saw dust from the big power houses champagne is sparkling wine from around as a cheap source of energy; Nocart solution the champagne region of France, even is to burn it. It doesn’t produce odour or smoke but though many dry sparkling wines are produces clean electricity.” referred to as champagne. Part of the agreement stated that, Nocart System, What makes sparkling wines bubble? Finland which is renowned for generating power The sparkles in sparkling wines through other renewable energy sources to the grid are bubbles of carbondioxde, CO2is or off grid, will be fully involved in the supply and a natural byproduct of fermentamaintenance of the necessary machines and train tion process. Sometimes, a second staff, all in the first six months before handing over fermentation is needed to trap more to the trained staff; including the provision of spare carbondioxide to make more bubparts. bling in sparkling wines, thus more carbondioxde will carbonate the wine beverage to give it the bubble effect. So you should be careful when opening champagne to avoid build-up pressure from exploding. Which wine is rose wine? Rose happens when the skins of red grapes touch wine just for a short time L-R: Vice President, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Ni(hours). Rose wines are pink or blush geria (CITN), Mr. Cyril Ede; President/Chairman of Councoloured. This pink colour is due to cil, Dr. Olateju Somorin; Past President, Mr. Foluso Fasoko the fact that the grape skin is included and Guest of Honour, Prof. Oyemine Ande, at the Institute’s for just few hours of the fermentation 34th induction ceremony of new members in …yesterday. process. Sometimes, Rose wine is a PHOTO: GODWIN IREKHE mixture of white and red wine. Rose wine can be very dry. But there are rose wines that are medium sweet and Lafarge posts N1.9bn loss in Q1 sweeter rose. Champagne is absorbed more afarge Africa Plc posted a first-quarter loss quickly than non-sparkling wine. as price cuts and a fall in demand weighed Champagne has been found to be on the Nigeria-based unit of the world’s biggest most upsetting to stomach than wine. cement maker. Champagne is acidic and bubbly. The loss after tax was N1.9 billion ($9.5 million) People have the right to know that in the three months through March, compared all champagne are sparkling wine, but with a profit of N5.8 billion a year ago, the comnot all sparkly wine are champagne. pany said in statement on Thursday. Revenue What does the wine cage on top of declined 29 per cent to N52.4 billion. While the the bottle of champagne do? unit of LafargeHolcim Ltd. didn’t publish comA champagne bottle has three times mentary of the figures, it said in October that a car tires pressure so that the wine pressure on prices and a market slowdown were cage on top has a real purpose. Always hampering its business in Nigeria and other Afremember to twist the bottle not the rican countries. cork. “The surprising weak performance is most Why do people drink wine more likely due to production issues across its plants,” than beer? including flooding, Lanre Buluro, an equity bro1. People have convinced themker and analyst with Primera Africa Securities selves that wine is good for your menLtd., said in e-mailed comments. The price cuts tality because wine has antioxidants by rival Dangote Cement Plc could also have had and its sweetness. an impact, he said.

Why do people drink wine

Clinical Consultant pharmacist EMMANUEL A.NWANKWO agmerendis@yahoo.com

08148877648 (SMS only) My stomach burns when I drink wine that is too acidic what do I do? The warmer the climate the sweeter the grapes because of higher sugar content. Sugar is basic and neutralizes the acid. So you drink wine with grapes grown from warmer climate. You can also eat crackers and cheese. Cheese and crackers are a classic pair when drinking wine. Right to know that grapes grown in warm climate have low acid and high sugar, while grapes grown in cold climate have high acid and low sugar content. Low PH is High acid and high PH is low acid. PH is a measure of acidity. Table wine has PH between 3.3 and 3.7. What is the difference between red and white wine? The majority of grapes produced for white wine are white grapes. When these grapes are crushed for making white wine, they, the producers of white wine limit the contact between the grapes juice and the skin of the grapes. But Red wines are made from black grapes or Red grapes, that are crushed so that the juice can sit and mix with the skins of the grapes deliberately for several weeks during fermentation process to pick up the red colour from the Tannins on the skin of red/black crushed grapes. But remember white wines lack skin. Where do Resveratrol and Flavonoids come from? Resveratrol in Red wine comes from the skin of grapes used in making wines. People have right to know that red wine is fermented with the grapes skin in it longer than is white wine, thus making red wine to have or contain more resveratrol. Remember that resveratrol and poly-

phenols are the same thing as Antioxidants in wine. People have the right to know that what gives red wine its red colour is called Tannin in the skin of the grapes. What are the problems with recommending drinking wine for your health? 1) The problem is that people will not keep to moderate drinking. Moderate alcohol drinking may mean different thing to different persons. 2) Alcohol abuse or alcoholism is associated with numerous negative health effects. 3) Advising people to drink will theoretically lead some people to abuse alcohol. However when you are in doubt ask your personal physicians (Dr) or health care giver. What does aging have to do with wine? After bottling of wine, the wine is allowed to age in the bottle for some period of time before being sold. This period of time (aging time) allows the wine to settle for months, years, decades down in the bottle. Many wines will continue to improve its taste in the bottle for months, years, decades or even for centuries. This extended bottle aging however is not for every wine. How do I know which food that goes with what wine? White wines are made from white grapes without the skins. White wines are usually drank cold and they go with light foods, white meat, fish and poultry chicken. Red wines are made from black or red grapes fermented with the skins included, which imparts the red colour to the wine. Red wines have more robust flavour and they also go for foods that are robust like red meat, beef, lambs and heavy pasta dishes. Usually, red wines are not drunk cold. Red wines are drunk just at room temperature. Serve red meat and heavy meal with red wine.

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SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

Market Sustains Positive Momentum

he Nigerian equities market consolidated on the previous week’s gains this week, advancing on three (3) of the five (5) trading days, to record a 0.85% week-on-week (WoW) advancement. Consequently, the index’s year-to-date return pegged at -12.50%. Market breadth pegged at 0.97x, reflecting thirty four (34) gainers and thirty five (35) decliners in the week. Also, the volume and value of transactions advanced by 36.63% and 22.05% respectively, just as market capitalization climbed to NGN8.621trn. ETERNA led the week’s top performers with a gain of 17.95% WoW, to close at NGN2.30, while AGLEVENT (+14.63%), UCAP (+11.49%), HONYFLOUR (+11.43%) and WEMABANK (+11.11%) trailed accordingly. On the reverse side, FO (-22.09%) recorded the worst WoW price decline, settling at NGN214.35 at the close of the week. AIRSERVICE, UAC-PROP, LIVESTOCK, GLAXOSMITH also populated the losers chart with respective declines of 18.78%, 13.48%, 10.99% and 9.69%. Earnings releases continued to flow into the market, with scorecards from companies such as ACCESS, FBNH, DANGCEM, WAPCO, and SEPLAT amongst others, were received during the week. Highlights of their respective performances is stated in the corresponding sectoral sections below. As mentioned in our report published at the close of the previous week, the Nigerian equities market does not seem to have given any material reaction to the news of the probable exclusion of Nigerian equities from the MSCI frontier market indexes, even as the set timeline to announce its decision expires at the close of the week. We believe the week’s performance was primarily influenced by investor’s reactions to performance scorecards received during the week. We anticipate that the gains recorded over the prior weeks may incentivize profit taking activities in the coming week, while investors’ perception about earnings releases is expected to further shape investment decisions in the week. This report reviews events in the current week, with emphasis on different segments of the financial market, while presenting our expectations for the coming week. Fixed Income: Naira Strengthens Across Board Rates at the inter-bank space seems to moderate during the week, as average NIBOR trimmed by 0.40% WtD, to peg at 8.77% as at mid-week. Also, following the respective WoW declines of 1.25% and 1.17% on the OBB and OVN rates respectively, average MM rate settled at 3.54%, down from 4.75% in the prior week. Sell pressure continues to prevail in the Treasury bills market, as the average yield climbed by 0.40% on the first three (3) trading days of the week, to settle at 8.22%. The weak appetite for Treasury bonds instruments lingered during the week, as the average bond yield climbed by 0.13% Weekon-Week to settle at 12.21%. We anticipate that this may be due to investors pricing in the expectation of an increase in MPR, given that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) revised the benchmark interest rate upwards at the last meeting due to hiking inflation (inflation for March hiked to 12.8% up from 11.4% in February). Naira strengthened against the US Dollar at the Inter-bank, appreciating by 96bps to settle the mid-price at NGN197.38/USD. The local currency also steadied at the parallel market, sustaining a mid-range of NGN320/USD. Agric. Sector: PRESCO Steers Positive WoW Showing After a negative showing in the prior week, the Agric sector rebounded this week, appreciating by 1.19% WoW as measured by our

…as NSEASI Gains 0.85% WoW MERI-AGRI index. The gains recorded in the week, further cements the sector’s position as the best performing sector in the year thus far, with a year-to-date return of 2.43%. PRESCO and LIVESTOCK emerged the sector’s lone gainer and loser in the week, after the respective counter surged and waned by 2.14% and 10.99% respectively, to close at NGN35.76 and NGN0.81 accordingly. ELLAHLAKES, FTNCOCOA, and OKOMUOIL on the other hand, recorded no WoW price movements after closing the week at NGN4.26, NGN0.50, and NGN29.00 in that order. During the week, LIVESTOCK released its 3M2016 performance scorecard, showing turnover growth of 11.75% YoY, while Profit-before-Taxes (PBT) and Profit-afterTaxes (PAT) respectively pared by 91.62% and 83.16% YoY. OKOMUOIL also released its 3M2016 results, recording YoY growths of 37.22%, 37.98% and 54.46% in revenue, PBT and PAT in that order. We opine that the Agric sector will remain attractive to investors over the short to medium term owing to the sector’s significant role in the country’s economic diversification strategy. However, investors are advised to base their investment decisions on the fundamentals of the companies operating within the sector. Banking sector: Results Flood in The banking sector returned positive this week, advancing by 1.26% to peg the YtD return at -12.04%. There were eight (8) advancers, seven (7) decliners, to peg the sector’s breadth at 1.14x. WEMABANK led the gainers, after appreciating in value by 11.11% to peg its trading price at NGN0.80. The ticker was followed by FBNH, and ACCESS, which recorded respective price appreciations of 8.43%, and 5.74%. On the other side, the decliners list was populated by STERLNBNK (-6.00%), UNITYBNK (-4.29%), and FIDELITYBK (-3.31%). There was another influx of results during the week, with DIAMONDBNK releasing FY2015 numbers, while ACCESS, STERLNBNK, and WEMABANK released 3M2016 results. Also, FBNH released its FY2015 and 3M2016 numbers. Diamond Bank (DIAMONDBNK) recorded a 4.17% YoY growth in Gross earnings, while Profit-Before-Tax (PBT) and ProfitAfter-Tax (PAT) declined by 74.76% and 77.80% accordingly. Similarly, Wema Bank Plc’s (WEMABANK) results showed a 5.80% YoY growth in gross earnings, while PBT and PBT declined by 17.87% YoY apiece. Access Bank Plc (ACCESS) recorded good numbers, with Gross earnings growing by 4.53%, while PBT and PAT advanced exponentially by 36.72%, and 42.08% YoY accordingly, on the back of declines in interest expenses and loan impairment charges.

Sterling Bank (STERLNBNK), on the other hand, recorded depressed numbers, with Gross earnings, PBT, and PAT all declining YoY by 6.32%, 30.56%, and 35.00% accordingly. This was primarily due to the much reduced non-interest income, which we anticipate will be a recurring theme across banks, although it may not result in weaker earnings across all. FBN Holdings Plc. (FBNH) released its FY2015 and 3M2016 results during the week, which showed that the Holdco’s FY2015 Gross earnings grew by 4.9% YoY, while PBT and PAT plunged by 77.1% and 82.0% YoY accordingly. Also, impairment charges for credit losses grew significantly by 360.6% YoY to NGN119.3bn (representing 23.6% of Gross Earnings). Furthermore, Non-Performing Loans as a proportion of Gross loans pegged at 18.0% (vs. statutory limit of 5%). For 3M2016, Gross earnings declined by 15.2% YoY, while Profit-Before-Tax and Profit-After-Tax declined by 18.2% and 8.3% YoY respectively. Also, Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) advanced further to 21.5%. We expect the direction of trading activities in the sector to be dictated by the results inflows in the coming week, as investors look for indications of positive performances to position for interim dividends while prices remain depressed. Consumer Goods: Records impressive 4.22% WoW gain Measuring by the performance of the NSEFBT10 (+4.22% WoW), the consumer goods sector closed the week in the green zone, bringing its year-to-date return to -18.11%. Ten (10) counters recorded positive WoW movements, while four (4) stocks recorded declines to set the sector breadth at 2.50x. AGLEVENT (+14.63%) led the sector’s top gainers to close the week at NGN0.94, followed by HONYFLOUR, NB, NASCON and TIGERBRANDS with respective appreciations of 11.43%, 9.64%, 9.43% and 8.99% in price. The losers chart featured only four stocks; GUINNESS (-6.86%), UACN (-5.11%), NESTLE (-0.76%) and DANGSUGAR (-0.35%). TIGERBRANDS released its 6M2016 earnings report, showing growths in revenue, Profit-Before-Tax and Profit-After-Tax respectively by 20.38%, 112.70%, and 115.06 on a year-on-year basis. NASCON also reported its 3M2016 results in the week, recording 55.25% YoY growth in turnover, just as Profit-Before-Tax and Profit-After-Tax both advanced by 36.98% YoY accordingly. Buy sentiments observed on the sector stocks during the week may be attributed to the impressive earnings releases from some companies operating in the sector. However, pocket of sell sentiments may be seen in the coming week as investors attempt to pick

up profits from the gains recorded in the just concluded week. Health Sector: Flurry of 3M2016 Earnings Releases Activities on the sector stocks were largely bearish in the week as a lone stock advanced in value during the week. Four (4) counters waned in value week-on-week, translating to a 9.41% WoW decline of the MERI-HLTH index. GLAXOSMITH, steered the laggards, paring by 9.69% WoW to close at NGN22.55. The counter was trailed by PHARMDEKO (-4.88%), and MAYBAKER (-4.76%) FIDSON (-0.47%) accordingly. NEIMETH emerged as the lone advancer in the week, appreciating by 4.55% WoW to close at NGN0.69. Fidson Healthcare Plc. (FIDSON) released its 3M2016 earnings report in the week, reporting revenue and PAT declines of 0.94% and 31.63% YoY accordingly. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc. (GLAXOSMITH) 3M2016 performance scorecard showed that while revenue advanced by 2.52% YoY, PAT plunged by 36.52% YoY. We are not upbeat of a positive outing for the sector stocks in the coming week. Industrial Goods: WAPCO Records Weak 3M2016 Performance The mixed sentiments of the previous week were sustained in this week. Three (3) stocks closed the week positive, as against five (5) decliners, driving the Meri-Industrial sector index up by 0.72% WoW, and thus resulting in a -6.51% YoY return. CUTIX enjoyed strong buy sentiments in the week ended, evidenced by a 9.09% WoW increase in share price to NGN1.44. CCNN and DANGCEM were the other advancers, with respective gains of 4.93% and 1.47% WoW. PORTPAINT emerged as the worst laggard for the week having shed 8.40% WoW, to close with a share price at NGN2.40. WAPCO, BERGER, PREMPAINTS and ASHAKACEM made up the list with respective losses of 8.12%. 4.95%, 4.94% and 0.77% WoW. WAPCO released its 3M2016 result which showed a 29.27% YoY decline in revenue, and a 132.06% YoY decline in Profit-AfterTax (PAT). The significant decline in PAT could be attributed to a higher cost environment which drove cost to sales and OPEX ratios to 85.10% and 12.30% respectively, up from 66.34% and 10.27% accordingly. DANGCEM also released its 3M2016 result. Revenue came in at NGN140.52bn, representing a 22.47% growth from 3M2015 numbers. Profit Before Tax (PBT) and Profit After Tax (PAT) however declined by 22.27% and 23.09% accordingly, following increases in production costs (55.52%), operating expenses (27.36%), as well as a 74.25% drop in finance income from the prior year. We expect the oscillatory movements in the industrial goods sector to persist as investors continue to speculate, bargain hunt, and take profits accordingly. Notwithstanding, we maintain our position of a strong general outlook for the building material’s sector in 2016. Insurance Sector: Unimpressive Scorecards Released Thus Far Bearish sentiments permeated insurance sector stocks during the week, as the NSEINS10 pared by 0.28% WoW, pressuring the sector’s year to date return to -6.96%. There were four (4) decliners, while no stock recorded a price appreciation. CUSTODYINS led the laggards after the counter waned by 2.37% WoW to close at NGN3.71. The counter was trailed by AIICO, CONTINSURE and MANSARD, after the respective counters pared by 1.28%, 0.98% and 0.44%.

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY APRIL 24, 2016

faith

When your money is running out

“W

h e n Jesus t h e n lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.” John 6:5-6 Jesus was ministering to a large crowd and suddenly the people became tired of listening to the sermons, they were tired of eating spiritual food and now needed physical food. That Jesus turned to ask His disciples for their suggestion on how they were going to feed the people didn’t mean He didn’t know what to do. He simply was asking to test their faith, He wanted to ascertain the level at which they were learning all He had taught them. Although they pointed to the fishes and bread belonging to the lad, but they didn’t know that was the answer. Jesus was never stranded; He always knew what to do and this is the same level God wants Kingdom business people to operate. If you don’t provide answers, you are gradually on your way out of business into bankruptcy. We are in a world that needs people who have answers.

Insight

Rev. Femi Akinola www.thehebrewsng.com

01-790 3163; 0808 584 5864 tiplication and increase comes through thinking. What do you think about? Think about how God has always supplied your needs in the past, including the capital with which you started that business. If He did it before, He will do it again. · Trade more “...and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples...” John 6:11. When supply can no longer cope with demand, don’t hold back, all you need do is trade more. The system of the world is to hold in time of scarcity, but as Kingdom people our secret is to distribute more in time of scarcity so as to reach many. What has your company done for the Kingdom? Kingdom business people don’t succeed by holding back, we succeed by giving. Jesus being a good shepherd never worries about Himself, He cares too much about others. He wants others to be comfortable, so He keeps distributing. That’s why He was able to lay down His life. Holding

When you have served God with your whole heart trusting Him all the way and it looks like you are going to end up with nothing, He compensates you So in a time of massive recession like this, what must a Kingdom businessman do in order to thrive and succeed? · Thank more “And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples...” John 6:11. There were people in that same crowd who also had lunch but refused to disclose it. But that boy with a heart of gratitude to the God who gave the lunch in the first place, returned the food to his Maker. Don’t ever focus on what God has not done; thank Him for the one in your hands. · Think more Jesus was a thinker. Until you can think, you can’t multiply anything. Mul-

time is suffering time, be warned! · Trust more The natural human, when serving, is inclined to always ask ‘what’s in it for me?’ When you have served God with your whole heart trusting Him all the way and it looks like you are going to end up with nothing, He compensates you. After they had served the crowd, they gathered up twelve baskets as leftover, which I believe were given to the same young boy who gave up his lunch pack. God does not collect from you and allow you go empty handed, He gives back to you; pressed down, shaken together and running over. Jesus didn’t just do things, He shows us example of how things should be done in the Kingdom that’s why that chapter revealed that they had twelve baskets left, we are then left to decode what they did with the twelve baskets. The same God who has said ‘owe no man’ cannot owe any man anything. It is a normal phenomenon for demand (needs) to be higher than supply (available resources), when this happens, the way out is to Thank More, Think More, begin to Trade More and Trust More.

Loving your spouse is a decision

remember the story of a man and his wife. They had gone through a turbulent time that was enough to destroy their marriage and scatter their family. But this man began to understand the true meaning of love. He realized that love was not how he felt or the bliss that exists when the going is good; but the commitment and the actions that we display even when things turn rough. He decided to love his wife. He said that he did not feel like even being nice to her but he forced himself to tell her loving words daily. He forced himself to be kind to her; he forced himself to forgive her. Deliberately he made himself practice the attributes of love listed out in 1 Corinthians 13. As he did this something amazing began to happen, he discovered he actually started loving his wife. He started wanting to be with her all the time. All the ‘feelings’ that were dead came alive and today their marriage is stronger than it ever was. Some people, during periods of hardship get easily frustrated and refuse to link up to their environment the way they used to. This attitude even

Marriage & Family Intimacy

Bishop Charles Ighele holyspiritmissioninc@yahoo.com

07066579379/09098845521 When you fail to release the love as a result of hardship or tough times; you are simply adding to the tightness rubs off on their spouses and to everyone around them; especially people in the immediate family or household members. There might be the temptation of discarding having anything to do with your spouse when things are not working as expected. It is at moments like this that your true love for your spouse is tested. Remember that whenever you are passing through a hard time, you are not in it alone because your spouse and people around you are also feeling what you are feeling in one way or the other. Your situation should not be allowed to be a decider to sharing the love within your. The love in your heart has been freely given to you

by God for a purpose and one of the purposes is for you to enjoy it with your spouse and people around you. When you fail to release the love as a result of hardship or tough times; you are simply adding to the tightness. Love has a way of bringing sanity and serenity to situations. If well applied, it removes every tension and chases away frustration. When I say if well applied, it means that the application of love has to be deliberately done. And by so doing, you ignore everything that seems to make you see no reason for its application. There are so many anti-love presentations all around us; just overlook them and move on with the love that wants to be exhibited within you. My point today to husbands and wives is this; for your marriage to be successful, you must know the true meaning of God’s kind of love. As marriage counsellor of about three

decades, I can say that in almost every marriage, after a period of time; the feeling of excitement and elation gives way as reality slowly begins to creep in. You realize that that perfect gentleman or lady you got married to has some flaws just as you do. Once this reality sets in if you do not understand the love that comes from God, your marriage may decline to a state of functionality where there is no spark. Today I advise husbands and wives and even those ready for marriage to carefully list out the attributes of love. Know them and deliberately begin to practice them. Everyday decide to be kind to your spouse, decide to be patient, and decide to endure. Do not let his/her attitude determines how you will behave because love is not a reaction or feeling; it is a committed decision. It is clearly more of a commitment than a feeling. Show great dedication, loyalty and love to your spouse and you will get back much more than you released. This goes to show that love comes back to us when we release it to people. It comes back in greater way and with a much more sweet side to it when we release it to our spouses.

Mystery of Anxiety Bishop John Ogbansiegbe 0803 341 6327 (SMS Only)

What to do when your road is dark

he word of God declared “And call upon me in the days of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me.” -Palm 50:15. This is a sure promise from God. To call on God means to pray. Prayer relinquishes your inability and put on the ability of God. And when you take on the ability of God, all things becomes possible. Prayer is a need crying for help. It does not matter what the need looks like, it may look very big, troublesome, gigantic or aggressive. When your road is too dark, pray and call on God. David said: “I will lift up my eyes unto the hill from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and the earth” –Psalm 121: 1and 2. There is help for you. No matter your condition, no matter where you are, your help shall surely come. When Jonah found himself in the belly of a fish, he knew he was in a big trouble. He described the belly of the fish as the belly of hell, but he was aware that no distance or depth can be a barrier to the intervention of the omnipotent and omnipresent God. Jonah repented in the belly of the fish. That was his darkest hour that was his darkest journey. But he still remembered God. He called form help from above; God answered his prayers and delivered him. Jonah prayed and said: “I cried by reason of my afflictions unto the Lord, and he heard me, out of the belly of hell cried I and thou heareth my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the midst of the4 seas, and the floods compassed me about, all thy billows and thy waves passed o9ver; then I said, I am cast out of thy sight, yet, I will look again towards thy holy temple” –Jonah2:1-4. Call God anywhere you are and in any condition, he shall be right there for you. Call him in your darkest ho0ur, and he shall be there to prove to you that the darkest hour of the night marks the beginning of a new day. To this end there-

fore, the word of God declared: “The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked, the Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm , and the clouds are dust of His feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry and drieth up all rivers, Bashan languisheth, camel, and the flowers of Lebanon languishet. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in Him” – nahum1:3-7. God cannot lie, he is not a man that he should lie nor the son of man that he should repent of his promises-Numbers 23:19. Let us therefore build our hope and confidence on the promises of God. He said; “all upon me in the days of trouble and I will deliver thee.” The word of God also declared: “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heir of promise, the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath. That by teo immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie that we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” – Hebrew 6:17-18.

When Jonah found himself in the belly of a fish, he knew he was in a big trouble. He described the belly of the fish as the belly of hell, but he was aware that no distance or depth can be a barrier to the intervention of the omnipotent and omnipresent God

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY MAY 1, 2016

faith

Moses Kattey becomes Archbishop of TAPAC Emmanuel Masha Port Harcourt

he Commonwealth Covenant Church International & TransAtlantic & Pacific Alliance of Churches (TAPAC) has inaugurated Rt. Rev. Moses Olaka Kattey PhD, JP as an archbishop at the Cathedral of Supremacy, Commonwealth Church, Eleme, Rivers State. Kattey, who is the national chairman of TAPAC was inducted as an archbishop in the presence of bishops from other ministries family members, by His Grace, The Most Rev. J.P. Hackman, the international president of TAPAC, who flew in from London for the event. TAPAC was founded by Hackman to foster unity, peace and love among churches worldwide by spreading the gospel. Archbishop Kattey, who is the younger brother of the Most Rev. Ignatius C.O. Kattey, the Anglican Bishop of Diocese of Niger Delta North and Archbishop of Province of Niger

Delta holds degrees from the University of Port Harcourt (Physics Education), University of Jos (Masters of Education), and the University of calabar (Philosophy of Curriculum Science, PhD). In his sermon shortly before the inauguration, Hackman urged the congregation to fight a good fight in life in order to be able to face the creator whenever he comes, explaining that life has three stages (beginning, process and the end). He emphasized the importance of the last, which according to him is what really counts in life since many end up falling by the way side, rather than maintaining the course to end well. He said: “Life is a mystery. Some are born to win, while some are born to lose. Some are born to lead, while some are born to follow. Anytime a good thing is about to happen, enemies will attack. Good does not reward the beginner or the process, but the finisher. “Young need to finish

well, because until you finish for God, you have done nothing. Life is for a purpose”. He urged Archbishop Moses Kattey to maintain his good fight without deterring, noting that those who fight till the end, receive the crown of life. He said, “If you die without leaving anything to be remembered for, then you have wasted your life. If you say yes, maintain your yes, heal the church and promote love, peace and unity. The Lord will surely come for those who fought a good fight till the end”. Earlier, Kattey’s elder brother, the Most Rev. I.C.O. Kattey, had described him as a bridge builder who has a special gift of reconciling people, and carrying out deliverances for those that are troubled. “He is like a ladder that many have used to climb. But he has also been dumped by many who have benefited from his good works. But he continues to do what he knows best...”

Kattey, kneeling while Hackman inaugurates him as Archbishop

Hackman decorating Kattey at the event

Hackman, presenting an award to Rivers First Lady, Hon. Justice Eberechi Suzette Wike, who was represented by Mrs. Anthonia Fred-Kpakpol

Kattey, left, receiving staff of office from Hackman during the inauguration.

Okoroafor authentic head of Assemblies of God Church, say WAGF Charles Onyekwere

ENUGU

he existing leadership crisis rocking the Assemblies of God Church, Nigeria maybe a thing of the past with the recognition of Rev. Chidi Okoroafor as the church’s authentic General Superintendent by the World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF) led by its global leader, Rev. George Wood. The General Secretary of the church, Dr. Godwin Amaowoh whose election and that of Dr. Vincent Alaje, General Treasurer were also recognised during the team’s visit to the headquarters of the Assemblies of God, United States of America in Springfield, Missouri, United States said in a statement that with the latest development, the crisis in the church had been “technically resolved”. According to him, the World Assemblies of God Fellowship is the

•WAGF has no such power -Paul Emeka highest fellowship body of the Assemblies of God in the world. The Assemblies of God has grown to over 67 million members worldwide and is the largest Pentecostal Fellowship in the world. There are currently more than 150 Fellowships that are members of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. “Rev. Dr.Chidi Okoroafor and other executive officers were received by Rev. George O. Wood, who doubles as the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, United States of America and the President, World Assemblies of God Fellowship. Rev. George Wood during the interactive meeting with the Assemblies of God Nigeria leaders, formally admitted Rev. Dr. Chidi Okoroafor as the new General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Nigeria into the World Assem-

blies of God Fellowship (WAGF). What Pope is to the Catholic is what Rev George O. Wood is to Assemblies of God World-Wide,” he noted. In the letter dated April 14, 2014 on the official letter head paper of WAGF, Rev. George Wood wrote, “Dear Reverend Dr. Okoroaofor: Upon receiving word of your election at the General Council of Assemblies of God Nigeria on October 29, 2014, I wanted to extend to you my heartfelt congratulations! As the new superintendent, we welcome you to the Assemblies of God World Fellowship (WAGF). We trust you will sense the support and encouragement of your fellow Assemblies of God general superintendents throughout the world.” He noted that the implication of the endorsement is that “both the Assemblies of God United States

and the WAGF had ceased to recognize Rev. Paul Emeka as the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Nigeria following the upholding of his dismissal and excommunication by the African Assemblies of God Alliance (AAGA) in August, 2014 during the World Congress/USA Centennial Celebration in Springfield, Missouri, USA and also the report of US Missionaries like Rev. Gregory Lance Beggs, REV. Patrick Dean Hurst, Rev. Scott Robert Erickson and Bonnie Louise Erickson that visited Nigeria recently to find out the truth of the matter. But Addressing Journalists in Enugu, Prof. Emeka, said it was not possible for WAGF to endorse Chidi Okoroafor as GS because it was not the purpose of establishing the world body. Emeka said he initially regarded

the noise about the endorsement of Okoroafor by the WAGF as GS of the Assemblies of God Nigeria as a trivial propaganda not deserving any attention, but he decided to change his approach and speak about it because of the uninformed masses that they may intend to deceive. According to him, the body is merely a fellowship of the Assemblies of God leaders of the participating nations. “Article III of its constitution and by-laws states thus: The nature of this fellowship is a cooperative body of worldwide Assemblies of God and related national councils and churches of equal standing. It is not a legislating organ to any national entity, rather a coalition of commitment for the global furtherance of the Gospel and the kingdom of God as a service agent.

SUNDAY MAY 01, 2016, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

News

Workers' Day: Benue speaker assures of payment of salaries Cephas Iorhemen MAKURDI

s Benue workers in Benue State join their counterparts across the nation to celebrate this year's Worker's Day, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Terkimbi Ikyange yesterday advised them not to lose hope in the Governor Samuel Ortom’s ability to pay their salaries. Mr. Ikyange, who stated this in a solidarity message to civil servants on this year's Workers Day celebration, attributed the success so far made by the present administration to the determination of the state workforce and appealed to them not to lose hope in the governor. He expressed optimism that the current economic challenges facing the country will soon be over, giving rise to better days ahead where every indigene of the country and civil servants will be proud of not only been citizens of the country, but also working for their fatherland. The Speaker said that the

Assembly was aware of the challenges confronting civil servants in the state and is prepared to partner with the other arms of government in finding solution to their problems in view of the key role they play to the success of any administration. Mr. Ikyange enjoined workers to support the governor in the fight against corruption, ensuring the

security of lives and property and boosting the local economy through mechanised agriculture thereby creating jobs for the teaming youths in the state. The Speaker who represents Ushongo Constituency in the Assembly, commended workers of the state for exhibiting high sense of hard work and commitment in the

discharge of their duties, the Speaker urged them to re-dedicate themselves to the service of the state and remain productive for the growth and development of the state. While congratulating civil servants in the state as they mark yet another Workers Day, Mr. Ikyange wished them a joyful and peaceful celebration.

Ekiti workers will soon smile - Speaker

he Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr Kola Oluwawole, has urged civil servants in the state to exercise patience, saying relief will soon come their way. Oluwawole, in a Workers’ Day celebration message issued in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday by his Media Aide, Mr Stephen Gbadamosi, lauded the resilience of workers across the nation in the face of dwindling revenue. "I particularly want to praise the resilience of our workforce and the entire citizens of Ekiti State in particular and Nigeria in

general. “The resilience and perseverance during the months of economic recession has been legendary and unprecedented. “But I have a message of hope; very soon, I believe we will all heave a sigh of relief. "On our part as a government in Ekiti State, under the leadership of Gov. Ayo Fayose, we have not been able to sleep with our two eyes since this recession has been having adverse effect on the welfare of the workers. “At the end of the tunnel,

we will soon have light. I assure you that we are more committed to making life more meaningful to workers in the state," he said. The speaker said that the Federal Government must also be thinking of how to get the country out of the current economic logjam. “I, on behalf of the entire House of Assembly in Ekiti State, congratulate the leadership and members of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and those of Trade Union Congress (TUC),” he said.

Vice President, Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), Mr. Muyiwa Akintunde; guest speaker, Mr. Tunji Adeyinka; President, PRCAN, Mr. John Ehiguese, during PRCAN's monthly Breakfast Meeting, in Lagos… Saturday

Caleb Onwe Abuja

Mexican investor, Green House Farms Limited has proposed to inject the sum of $11 million into Nigerian agriculture by venturing in a greenhouse vegetable project. Making the disclosure in Abuja, the Chairman, Wells San-carlos Agro Farms Limited, Captain (Dr.) Idahosa Okunbo, with other representatives Wells San-Carlos Green House Farms Limited told the minster that the

Mexican investor to inject $11m into agric project will be commence in Benin, Edo state. Okunbo assured the ministry of his total commitment and that of his foreign partners in ensuring that the project meets the aspirations of the government while delivering the economic blessings to the rural communities and their leaders. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, welcomes the proposed investment and said that 45 million hectares of land was

still left uncultivated and solicited the support of the Mexican investor in reaching out to other investors in Mexico on the investment opportunities in the agricultural sector in Nigeria. Ogbeh stated that Mexico supplies 60% of fruits to Europe and therefore requested the investor to help in the training of young people on extension programmes or establish a school to train farm managers.. According to him, “Creating Jobs should be a priority now

to avoid any revolt from the young people”. The Minister encouraged the investor to consider investing on plantain, bananas, and snails, saying that apart from the 200million population of Nigeria, the country still feeds about 70 million people outside the country. He however advised the investor to consider the use of liquid fertilizer for its Greenhouses and assured of the ministry’s support towards the success of the project.

Bello's continued romance with PDP continue from page 23

Dr. Yakubu Ugwolawo said the crises are as good as bringing the party’s internal problem to public domain. "We feel highly concerned to comment on the issues bordering on recent vote of no confidence said to have been passed on the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, by the state executive committee of APC led by its Chairman, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo.” “While we do not query the state Executive Committee members’ decision to raise any issue against the governor, we feel highly disturbed about the escalation of the matter,” he said. Ugwolawo said that the allegations in the media are purely a case of one washing dirty linen in the public. According to him, the state governor is a member of the state executive committee as contained in article 12 (8) of the Constitution of the APC, “one wonders therefore, why the chairman would not use the instrument of the committee to iron out the issues raised in a state executive committee.” The coalition, therefore, appealled to all the parties concern to utilise peaceful means in resolving their differences. Analysts argued that the decision of the APC leaders to have expressed lack of confidence on Governor Bello was a welcome development. Suffice is to say that the some key appointment so far made by the governor to run the affairs of the state, are majorly sympathisers and supporters of the PDP. Sunday Telegraph further gathered that the governor’s anti-party activities started when he lost the August 29,

2015 APC governorship primary election to late Prince Abubakar Audu. Bello, who came second at the primaries, was said to have become disgruntled when it dawn on him that he would not flay the party's flag. In his desperation to govern the state, Bello was said to have detested the choice of late Audu as the party’s flag bearer and petitioned the late Audu before the party, averred that the late Audu was having corruption case with EFCC and, therefore, unfit to fly the party’s ticket. And instead the party should make him (Bello), candidate of the party, since he came second in the party primaries. Bello, now Kogi governor, is said to have made up his mind to govern the state, and to work for former Governor Idris Wada’s candidature instead of late Audu to become the governor. The case of Mr. Kingsley Famwo and other PDP members serving in Bello’s cabinet is further justified, because both were working towards the goal to reinstall a PDP government during the election. Little wonder they now work together again in the tnew system. Political pundits have, however, described the impasse as first in the history of Kogi politics. They hold that the continuous confidence crisis between a party and its governor is unhealthy. Right or wrong the burden on the governor occasioned by the current impasse can only be lightened if he (Bello) stop whipping further sentiment and humble himself before the party hierarchy both at the state and national levels.

Pa Afolabi for burial A philanthropist and community leader Prince Michael Ola Afolabi Olatunji popularly called “The Governor” bade this world farewell on February 12, 2016 at age 85. He will be buried on May 7, 2016 at the Christ Cathedral Church cemetery at

Ijero, Ekiti, his hometown in Ekiti State.

SUNDAY

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

Ranieri urges Leicester players to grasp ‘chance of a lifetime’

Mata: Leicester can wait another week p.55

p.55

Taribo West wants Enyeama back in Eagles p.55

SPORTS

Ojinnaka: My wife divorced me for becoming a wrestler Dapo Sotuminu

t the height of a blossoming multimillion dollars career in the American National Football League (NFL), Nigerian-born Ouinn Ojinnaka made a sharp turn-around dumping the sport for his childhood fantasy and a less lucrative, more cumbersome professional wrestling in 2012. When he took the decision, the first person he told about his new beginning was his wife, who felt disgusted by the news that he will no longer be disposed to her husband’s posh life supported by a fat bank account. Ojinnaka was shocked to his marrow as his wife responded with divorce papers as the family attorney ran after him to serve him the papers. “The first person I told that I was retiring from the NFL to become a pro wrestler was my wife and her reaction was that she hated it and that I was being selfish for retiring at a young age. She said why should I leave all the money on the table for something that was just a maybe.” His dream is no longer a “maybe” because today, Ojinnaka is one of the brightest stars on the independent wrestling scene who is on his way to the WWE and happier than he’s ever been, which proves the sacrifices he had to make were all worth it. The transition from getting hit on the football field to taking bumps in a wrestling ring didn’t prove to be too difficult for Ojinnaka as his natural athleticism allowed him to quickly

grasp the moves and techniques necessary to begin

his new career. He said: “It’s funny how my ex-wife laughed at me and called me an idiot when I quit football to become a wrestler. “But who is the idiot now? Money doesn’t make you happy,” he says. “I’m way happier doing this than playing football. Football wasn’t happiness to me. That was a job. This isn’t a job. This is me doing something I love.” Ojinnaka is today a registered professional wrestler at the Ring of Honor (ROH) Entertainment Incorporation, where the likes of WWE superstars like CM Punk, A.J. Styles, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Cesaro, Samoa Joe and others were bred. So far, so good, Ojinnaka has been a celebrated wrestler in the last four years, there is a possibility that the 31-year-old could eventually join the ranks of some of ROH’s illustrious alumni in the WWE. But in order to get to where he is today,

he had to endure the backlash from his unpopular decision to walk away from a lucrative career in the NFL. “My brothers hated it and didn’t understand how I could give

away millions to do something stupid and fake,” Ojinnaka says. “Other than my mother, everyone took it the wrong way and said it was stupid. But that made me work harder to prove them wrong.” Before football consumed his life, Ojinnaka was infatuated with professional wrestling. Born and raised in Maryland to Nigerian parents Peter and Becky Ojinnaka, a 7-year-old Ojinnaka happened to stumble across the 1992 WWE Royal Rumble when the consummate showman Ric Flair emerged on the screen. “I was watching this as a kid and said, ‘What the hell is this? I liked what I was watching and this guy was instantly my favourite wrestler. I told my mom that whatever this was, I wanted to watch it every single time it is on.” But it wasn’t until Ojinnaka saw Razor Ramon, a Cuban-American intimidator from Miami, that he realized he wanted to be a professional wrestler. “From watching him I thought I could actually be him,” Ojinnaka says. “I’d dress, walk and talk like him. It came to a point where I said that I wanted to be a wrestler so I could be just like him.” Despite his love for professional wrestling, Ojinnaka found success as a football player. “All of my teammates in college and the NFL would tell you that I would be still

watching wrestling whenever it came on,” Ojinnaka says. No matter how well he was doing on the field, the idea of becoming a professional wrestler was gnawing at him. When he was traded to the New England Patriots in 2010, Ojinnaka began to realize that he wasn’t getting any younger and if he was going to chase his dream, he needed to do it sooner than later. “When I got traded to the Patriots was when I saw the real life of football and that you won’t play for the same team for the rest of your career and that’s when I got tired of it,” Ojinnaka said. “I was always in a bad mood and realized that the only way I could make myself happy was to chase this

dream to become a pro wrestler.” “When I decided I wanted to become a wrestler, I knew I could take six months to one year and focus on becoming a wrestler. I didn’t need to have a back-up job. I could wake up and go to wrestling school and be dedicated.” Ojinnaka began his training in 2012 under the tutelage of retired WWE and WCW star Curtis Hughes at WWA4 Wrestling School in Atlanta. To prove his dedication, Ojinnaka drove an hour each way to the wrestling school four times a week from November until his first match in April the following year. On June 19, 2014, Ojinnaka signed a twoyear contract with Ring Of Honor and officially began his journey to become the greatest professional wrestler in the world. But life on the road with a bunch of wrestlers versus the lavish life of traveling with an NFL team would take some adjusting. “Financially, it’s definitely an adjustment,” Ojinnaka says. “In football you’re making hundreds of thousands of dollars weekly. In wrestling you’re making maybe $500 a week.” But despite the financial differences, Ojinnaka says that he enjoys the camaraderie travelling with fellow wrestlers more than he did the NFL. “It’s like I’m a kid preparing for the first day of school and I can’t sleep because I’m excited to see all of my friends,” Ojinnaka said with a wide smile stretching across his face. “He’s my favourite wrestler in the world and I’m so excited.”

Sport

SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016 SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Nigeria premier football league update

IfeanyiUbah plot Abia Warriors’ fall in Nnewi Stories by: Dapo Sotuminu

layers of FC IfeanyiUbah Football Club have said loud and clear that if there is any match they want to win in the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League, it is today home game against highly rated Abia Warriors. For the match matchday 14 game that has been slated for Gabros International Stadium in Nnewi, IfeanyiUbah players noted that, a convincing victory against Abia Warriors is most important to give succor to their supporters across the country after the club’s three zero loss against

Bosso out to make history against Tornadoes

oach of El Kanemi Warriors, Ladan Bosso said his team could pull a surprise win away from home when

Bosso

they face newly promoted Niger Tornadoes in a NPFL matchday 14 fixture on Sunday. Bosso, who joined the the Maiduguri-based team this season is unfazed by the test as his team looks for their first away win. El Kanemi have not won a game on the road since 2013 and Bosso believes a win is achievable against Tourist. The two struggling clubs face off in the Nigeria Professional Football League on Sunday as Niger Tornadoes welcome El-Kanemi Warriors to the Confluence

Stadium looking to bounce back to winning ways. Tornadoes boss, Abdullahi Biffo, doesn’t have any fitness worries, with Ismail Gata, Angel Wilfred Ammeh and Lukman Mohammed likely to start upfront. El-Kanemi Warriors manager Ladan Bosso is likely to start Chinedu Ohanachom and Ibrahim Mustapha in attack. These two sides last met on 26th August 2005 when Niger Tornadoes came out on top 2-0 at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna.

Giwa FC players are not distracted – Mutiu Adegoke

ollowing the ban and fine of the League Management Company (LMC) on Giwa FC for crowd trouble during the week 12 NPFL game against league leaders Rangers FC, a ban which would see Giwa FC banished to play their next three home games against Wikki Tourists, Akwa United, and Enyimba FC in Ilorin. Veteran player in the Nigerian League Mutiu Adegoke has stated that the players are not distracted despite the recent happenings in the club.

He said: “There is no distraction in the team, though we would have to play in neutral venues, the game of football is all about playing for the three points at stake, whether you play at home or away” It is yet to be seen if the players of Giwa FC can steady the ship with the forth coming tempest, coming on the back drop of four away games in five that saw them lose the four away games, beating Kano Pillars 2-0 in the only home game. They would have been hoping to push up from their 18th position on the table in the next

four games which would have seen them play three at home, but now Giwa FC would have to play the three in Ilorin a neutral ground.

Adegoke

Wikki Tourists in Bauchi in the last away fixture. The team captain and former Super Eagles full-back, Chibuzor Okonkwo, stated that anything short of victory will not be enough to apologise to their supporters who were very disappointed with the poor result in Bauchi. “We know Abia Warriors would think we are yet to recover from the scandalous loss to Wikki Tourists and would want to play fast breaks to see if we are going to fall against, but sorry this won’t work as we have put the loss behind us and our coaches have corrected the mistakes that caused those

goals in Bauchi. For us the match is a must win game. Our focus would be on grabbing the three available points. We are not ready to share points with Abia Warriors. This would help us in our target to finish the first stanza of the league on top of the table,” he said. Before going into today’s match, FC IfeanyiUbah, tutored by Mikto Dobrev, occupy third spot on the log standings with 22 points from 13 matches. Abia Warriors are also performing well having won six games, drawn five and lost only match. They have a game in hand against big brothers Enyimba FC.

Rangers to consolidate against Rivers Utd

igeria Premier Football League table toppers, Rangers International Football Club of Enugu, aware of the strong defensive play of River United Football Club are optimistic they have what it takes to snatch three points from Stanley Eguma-tutored team when they two teams play at the Garden City, Port Harcourt in today’s league game. The Flying Antelopes which have been impressive this season with the ebullient nature of their chief coach, Imama Amapakabo, believes strongly that, with the current officiating brilliance in the NPFL, Rangers will be free to play their full attacking formation without the fear of being slowed down by referees. Amapakabo: “I feel so good that my boys are doing very well this season, it all boils down to hardwork and dedication by the players, plus the renewed welfare package of the management. What I can tell Rangers supporters is that, we won’t return empty handed against River United. “Despite the fact that we know what to expect from Stanley Eguma’s boys, the match is not going to be an easy one, as they also know we won’t make it easy for them either. I know they are a good side. The good thing about this season is that the referees have done well. I hope they would continue until the end of

Rangers coach Imama Amakapabo

the season.” The Rangers coach said their host should be worried about his team when the sides clash on Sunday. The Flying Antelopes top the NPFL with 4 points after 13 matches and have very much stood toe to toe with every top side they’ve faced. Though a major power-

house, Rangers have been a shadow of their old dominant self until this season and while Imama says he’s going for the jugular in Port Harcourt on Sunday; as he aims for in every other game, the Rangers Technical head was quite confident, when he stated that he knew what to expect from Stanley Eguma’s men.

NPFL Fixtures May 1, 2016 Sunshine Stars

Kano Pillars

Shooting Stars

Plateau United

Rivers United

Enugu Rangers

Nasarawa Utd

Warri Wolves

Giwa

Wikki Tourist

IfeanyiUba

Aba Warriors

Enyimba

Lobi Stars

Tornadoes

El Kanemi

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY, 1 MAY 2016

Sport

Ranieri urges Leicester players to grasp ‘chance of a lifetime’

LAUDIO RANIERI has urged his players to seize the day at Manchester United today as he admitted the Foxes fairytale is a one-off unlikely to happen again for a generation. The Leicester boss implored his table-topping underdogs to grab the win at Old Trafford which will deliver the most unlikely Premier League title in history, saying: “Once in a lifetime this can happen. Once every 50 years a little team with less money can beat the biggest. Once. “There is a very special set of circumstances this year. The big teams don’t have consistency; the normal-

sized teams have the consistency during all the season from August to April. Now it’s important to maintain the same consistency to May. “We know we are not the best but we are solid, we are strong. Leicester play every week as 11 players. That is our strength. “It is important for us to make the perfect game. We have to do the best away performance of the season.” Leicester’s collection of bargain buys stand on the brink of the greatest achievement in the club’s 132-year history and for the likes of Danny Drinkwater and Danny Simpson both rejected by United - Old Traf-

ford would be the perfect place to seal the title. “A little part of their hearts is also for Manchester United and they want to show a good performance there,” said Ranieri. “When you play at Old Trafford it is amazing - the stadium, the fans, the history of football there is great and I hope to give one of our best performances. We have to fight there, we have to fight a lot. It will be a fantastic match but it will be very tough. Manchester United started not so well because Van Gaal had to choose the right players but now they are a very good team.”

Eagles coach to understudy Guardiola at Man City

Mata: Leicester can wait another week

anchester United midfielder, Juan Mata, says Leicester City can wait another week for a Premier League triumph ahead of their clash at Old Trafford today. The famous stadium has seen a many Premier League title triumphs, but none would be as unlikely as Leicester’s, should they clinch the title on United soil. But Mata, while complimentary to Leicester’s feats this season, is determined to stop that from happening. “They showed great character, commitment and passion. They are really close to doing it. But hopefully it doesn’t happen at Old Trafford. They can wait another week.” United are desperate for the three points as they continue

to fight for Champions League qualification, sitting four points behind third and fourth-placed Manchester City and Arsenal with four games to go and a game in hand on both their rivals. And while all three sides would have expected to fight for the title, rather than just a top-four finish at the start of the season, Mata said it was good for football to see Leicester riding so high. “It is good for football in a way because it is a little bit of fresh air. But my wish is that we were winning the league. We did not do well enough to win the title. “Leicester can make their dreams come true. In the beginning of the season you could be surprised but after that, when you see the way they play and the way they defend. They play like a team and get results.”

Solution to Cross Word Puzzle

uper Eagles interim coach, Salisu Yusuf, has revealed that he plans to return overseas to understudy Pep Guardiola when he resumes as manager of Manchester City in the new English Premier League season. Yusuf, two weeks ago concluded a similar programme at Scottish club Hearts to understudy the workings of the club’s manager. “I hope to understudy Pep Guardiola by the Sakho at Manchester City. I was schedtime he resumes uled to do that when I finished at Hearts in Scotland, but I shifted it because I wanted to attend the CAF A license in Abuja,” the coach said. “My visit to Scotland was an eye-opener and it showed to me again why cubs in Europe are very prepared because they have experts for all aspects of their preparations - from fitness conditioning to dieting.” Guardiola will replace Manuel Pellegrini at The Etihad for the new season when Yusuf then hopes to visit. The former Kano Pillars and Enyimba coach who has assisted Stephen Keshi, Sunday Oliseh and Samson Siasia, will lead Nigeria for two friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg in the last week of May.

Taribo West wants Enyeama back in Eagles

ormer Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, has called on the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to do everything within its powers to ensure former national team captain, Vincent Enyeama, returns to the Super Eagles squad. The 33-year-old goalkeeper, who was last week voted as the sixth best goalkeeper in the world, was forced into retirement by the former national team chief coach, Sunday Oliseh, last October after he was unceremoniously replaced as team captain. Taribo believes that since Sunday Oliseh, who frustrated the worldclass goalkeeper out of the Eagles has left the national team, Enyeama could be convinced to return to the Eagles, as he remains the best Nigeria has in the goalkeeping position. Taribo said: “Nigeria is a country where heroes are not appreciated and it is painful. The leadership of the NFF should put their pride on one side and beg Enyeama to return to the Eagles. He remains the best in the country and the Eagles’ most capped football player. Such great players must be taken care of properly. From his recent performances in the European league, Enyeama still has a lot to offer the country.

Key statistics • After winning nine Premier League games in a row against Leicester City, Manchester United have now won just one of their last three against the Foxes (D1 L1). • If they win this match, Leicester will become the first team to win their first top-flight league title in England since Nottingham Forest in 1977-78. • United need to win five points in their remaining four league games to equal their lowest points tally in a Premier League campaign (64 in 2013-14). • Claudio Ranieri has won just two of his previous nine Premier League matches as a manager against Manchester United (W2 D5 L2); these coming in December 2001 and November 2003 as Chelsea boss. •Man Utd have won 6, drawn 2 and lost 1 of the last 9 stagings of this fixture, outscoring their opponents by 16 goals to 6. • Man Utd have scored in 70% of their last 20 home games. •Man Utd have kept a clean sheet in 60% of their last 20 home games. • Leicester have won 1, drawn 2 and lost 6 of the last 9 stagings of this fixture, being outscored by their opponents by 16 goals to 6. • Leicester have scored in 90% of their last 20 away games. • Leicester have kept a clean sheet in 40% of their last 20 away games.

Man Utd vs Leicester 31/01/15

Man Utd

3-1

Leicester

13/04/04

Man Utd

1-0

Leicester

17/11/01

Man Utd

2-0

Leicester

17/03/01

Man Utd

2-0

Leicester

06/11/99

Man Utd

2-0

Leicester

15/08/98

Man Utd

2-2

Leicester

31/01/98

Man Utd

0-1

Leicester

30/11/96

Man Utd

3-1

Leicester

28/12/94

Man Utd

1-1

Leicester

EPL League Table top five #

Team

Leicester

+30

Tottenham

+39

Man City

+32

Arsenal

+24

Man United

+12

business FRSC's 5 years validity Driver's Licence ready soon -Oyeyemi }44

FAITH

Sanctity of Truth

SUNDAY

We must not pray for religious war – Sanyaolu

NIGERIA’S MOST AUTHORITATIVE NEWSPAPER IN POLITICS AND BUSINESS

N150

SUNDAY, MAY 01, 2016

}33

Governor Fayose: The new Nigerian Nostradamus (Part 2)

ENCORE

The

We continue this week, our discourse on the uncanny realization of Governor Fayose’s predictions. ON SUBSIDY In his predictions, Fayose wrote: “There will be removal of fuel subsidy and petrol (PMS) will sell over N100/litre, leaving the masses in more serious hardship. Product will not be available and long queues in petrol stations will persist throughout the first quarter of 2016 and beyond”. To say that the above prediction came to pass is putting it mildly, because a worse scenario actually played out. The absence of the usual subsidy component in the latest PPPRA template indicates that the Federal Government’s decision to officially remove subsidy on PMS, better known as petrol, has since commenced. The official pricing template for petrol by the PPPRA as of December 29, 2015, had seen the Federal Government subsidizing the product by N6.45 per litre, when the Estimated Open Market Price (EOMP), at that time was N93.45. This was N6.45 higher than the then retail price of N87 per litre. The EOMP is the summation of the landing cost of petrol and sub-total margins which include transporter’s cost, dealer’s charge, bridging fund, administrative charge, etc. This, to experts, makes EOMP the true cost of the product. However, Nigerians went through, and are still going through, the most harrowing and hellish experience ever before witnessed in this country, on fuel brouhaha. Queues running into kilometers, people sleeping at fuel stations for upwards of three days, citizens carrying generators on their heads to secure fuel, mass trekking by Nigerians for lack of transportation, and businesses generally grinding to a total halt, saw Fayose’s predictions realized 100%. His prediction that fuel will sell for over N100/litre, became a child’s play, as fuel actually sold for over N400/litre across many states in Nigeria. This writer personally purchased fuel on some occasions for N420/litre, to survive. The situation, though slightly now better, has not in any way disproved Fayose. ELECTRICITY Fayose’s prediction was that “Power generation will drop to the lowest ebb. Still, Federal Government will increase tariff in 2016”. I was one of those who felt Fayose had exaggerated or missed the point totally. I could not imagine the paradox of consumers of electricity being made to pay higher tariffs for epileptic or non available electricity. But, this madness has since occurred. Nigerians, who had been paying the highest tariff per kilowatt of electricity in Africa, had their nightmares compounded. NERC, the regulatory body, on February 1, commenced the implementation of new electricity tariff for residential and industrial users across the country. Under the new tariff regime, R2 customers covered by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, who had been paying N13.91 per kilowatt hour (Kwh) witnessed an increase by N9.60. Consumers under the Eko and Ikeja electricity distribution areas who had been pay-

Nigerian Project

MIKE OZEKHOME san, ofr mike.ozekhome@yahoo.com 08094777755 (sms only) ing N12.87kwh and N13.61kwh, respectively, witnessed a N10 and N8 increase respectively, in their energy charges. Electricity consumers covered by Kaduna and Benin Discos who were initially paying N16.90 Kwh and N12.54kwh, witnessed an increase of N11.05 and N9.26 respectively, in their energy charges. More foreboding was the fact that on March 31, 2016, the Nigerian nation had no electricity at all on her national grid, to distribute to homes and businesses, because the entire system collapsed. The Transmission Company of Nigeria actually admitted that this happened between the hours of 12.35pm and 3pm, because none of the 11 electricity distribution companies in Nigeria (DISCOS), got power distribution as a result of the tripping of the Osogbo/Ihovbor and Ihovbor/ Benin 330Kv transmission lines. So, electricity did not just “drop to its lowest ebb”, as predicted by Fayose, it actually dropped to ZERO! NOW THIS ECONOMIC POLICY On economic policy, Fayose predicted that “most private owned middle-class businesses will fold up because of bad economic policies of the Buhari-led government”. To say this has come to pass is an understatement. Most small scale and middle class businesses that could not access electricity, PMS, diesel, security, foreign exchange, etc, have since folded up. Some are barely gasping for breath. Some have relocated to neighbourly Ghana and Benin Republic. Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution provides that the welfare and security of Nigerians shall be the primary purpose of government. However, since government cannot always provide full employment for the people, what it does is to provide the enabling environment for non-state actors to bridge the gap. These non-state actors include small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), among others. But, the challenges facing the growth and survival of SMEs in Nigeria today, is primarily, funding. Most new small business enterprises are not attractive prospects for banks, as they want to minimize their risk profile. The low level of SMEs development in Nigeria is generally attributed to the poor conception and implementation of government policies aimed at SME support facilities and incentives, including loans, training facilities, industrial estates, tax holiday, import liberalization, infrastructure and the provision of raw materials at subsidized rates for SMEs. AND THIS

REACTIONS BY AVID READERS There has always been a deluge of reactions to this column. Readers have been agitating to be heard. Today, we begin some of their weekly feedback. DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM THIS COLUMN Sir, my name is Mbaye Samuel Nto-obari, an ND2 student of Mass Communication, Ken Poly, former Rivers State polytechnic, Bori, Rivers State. I am very delighted and proud of your person. Your words are highly inspirational and are full of realities. I buy the Sunday Telegraph just to read “the Nigeria Project”. Keep it up sir, as you inspire young minds. 09039140928. Sir, like the Bible warns us in Ephesians 4:27, "and give the devil no chance, grieve not also the holyspirit God has deposited to dwell in you richly". I am persuaded by the spirit of God to declare to you that you should keep on talking, speaking, writing, telling the truth. Nigerians, the good and bad leaders, the honest and parochial ones,

the pure in heart and ethnic, religious, and those with bias, cliquish interests, agenda are digesting your empirical, objective sermons. Example, PMB has since corroborated, harmonized and validated Nigeria Project’s prophetic sermons especially, when he declared few days ago, thus, "27 out of 36 states are broke, I am afraid I did not succeed in the elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Rivers". Pst. S.C. Obasi, 08033455244. Sir, I have been reading your write up every week in Sunday Telegraph and I have come to know that you are the mouthpiece of the common man. Please sir, my people of Ekporo Community in Eleme LGA, Rivers State, have been displaced from their ancestral home since October, 2013, till date, by our neighbours, Ogu Community and nobody cares because we don't have a voice. We are suffering untold hardship. Come to our aid, sir and be a voice for us. Who knows whether through you we will go back. God bless you. Rev. Mrs. Akate Joel Kenwi, Commonwealth Covenant Church, Nchia Eleme, 08036761274. Please, my brother, Mike, on your write up on “trial by installment”, stop deceiving us your fans. You ought to speak out on the disappointing role respected learned colleagues like Prof. Sagay, is playing in the APC-led government against the rule of law in a democratic era. We are watching. 08034338077. LAST LINE Nigerians, PMB, Fayose, Ekiti, avid readers, please, await the next tranche of Fayose’s predictions, even as you read today’s sermon on the “Mount of the Nigerian Project” by Chief Mike A. A. Ozekhome, SAN, OFR, FCIArb? • Follow me on twitter @ MikeozekhomeSAN

Cross Word Puzzle

with Olulana Kayode 08023183727 Instructions on how to play the game •With reference to the ‘clues across’ and ‘clues down’ below, you shall try to provide answers to the clues, by writing the answer in the puzzle box provided on the left side. •The number in parenthesis indicates the total number of letters making up the solution or answer you will provide. •Keep on answering all the questions until all the spaces in the puzzle box are completely filled up. Good luck!

Clues Across 1 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 17 18 20

LGA in Yobe state, (8). Remaining sign, (5). Ex Pres. Babangida's acronyms, (3). Very bad, (4). Niobium’s chemical symbol, (2). Chemical symbol for iron, (2). 16th letter of Greek alphabet, (2). Indicates 'twice', (2). 'Cassava' in Hausa language, (4). Fish egg, (3). 1,000 kg weight equivalent, (5). Collarless short-sleeved shirt, (3, 5).

Clues Down 1 2 3 4 5 7 12 13 16 19

LGA in Kogi state, (10). Gather crop, (4). United States, abbr. (2). Extraterrestrial being, (5). Special clothes, (10). City in Osun state, (3). Give medical aid to, (5). Container for cooking, (3). Opposed to something, (4). Measure of radiant energy, (2). Turn to page 55 for solution

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